Janet M. Dillon

Smart, charming, refined and beautiful are just a few words to describe Janet Marie Dillon, who lived her 94 years grounded in her strong Catholic faith, love and devotion to family and friends. With her joyful spirit, she made life an adventure for those lucky enough to know her.

Janet was born January 20, 1932 in Detroit, MI to Hilda (nee Schneider) and native New Yorker Andrew Golata, the youngest of three girls. Most prized was her Catholic faith, having attended St. Agnes Elementary in Detroit, St. Mary’s School in Lansing, and Visitation Elementary and High School before graduating from the University of Detroit.

In her autobiography, written in 5th grade, she said: “My ambitions are to become a Dominican nun or go to modeling school and become a model, or go to Arizona and raise horses and dogs on a ranch and live til I’m 65.”

Little did she know she’d meet Jack Dillon at UD and change her plans. Jack was in law school and Janet was an undergrad. She discovered that her mother and Jack’s mother played bridge together, and that their sisters Helen Dillon and Mary Golata were good friends. Jack and Jan were married Nov. 28, 1953 and had four children, Marybeth, Maureen, John and Andy. Jack, who served as Redford Township district judge for nearly 30 years, died Sept. 18, 2013, shortly before the couple’s 60th wedding anniversary.

Of German and Irish heritage, Janet was most enamored with her Irish roots. She loved the stories about her great-grandfather Patrick Charles Hackett emigrating to the U.S. at age 10 in 1845 from Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland with his mother, Bridget Maher Hackett, twin sister Mary, sister Margaret, and brothers John and Michael. There is no record of a father, and it’s assumed he died in the Great Famine. Patrick and his wife Dora had 9 children, among them Janet’s grandmother Clara. Patrick and his son William opened and operated the Hackett Funeral Home on Vernor in Detroit’s Holy Redeemer Parish.

Janet greatly admired her parents. She told her children, “I never heard my mother or father say ‘hell’ or ‘damn.’ I never heard them yell. I never heard them say anything uncharitable. My mother went to Mass every day. My dad would go every Sunday and every first Friday. And dad gave good advice. He said ‘Don’t let tonight ruin tomorrow.’

“I never remember missing Sunday Mass in my whole life,” added Jan.

For 45 years, Janet enjoyed golfing at Farmington Country Club and Western Golf & Country Club, where she helped produce and publish The Western View. Gardening, tennis, bridge, Mahjong and playing the ukulele and guitar were other favorite pastimes. A talented singer, Janet spent 13 enjoyable years as public relations chairman for the Spirit of Detroit 110-member Sweet Adeline Chorus. Shows, performances and competitions in cities around the country proved to be great adventures.

On her cable tv show called “Women on the Move,” Janet interviewed women with interesting careers. Jan was particularly impressed by one woman who went from fixing trucks on her driveway to getting hauling jobs and eventually starting her own nationwide trucking company.

For decades, Janet was a member of Regnum Christi, the lay apostolate for the Legionaries of Christ. She was a lector and active in her parish, St. Valentine’s Catholic Church in Redford.

Janet enjoyed her jobs at Holcroft Engineering and at D-Tours, where she guided tourists around Detroit to see the city’s historic gems. On one VIP trip, Janet took Roy Disney and his wife to tour Windsor, Ontario as well as Detroit’s Edsel and Eleanor Ford mansion. During a blizzard, she picked up two German businessmen at Metro airport and drove them to Volkswagen headquarters in Troy to meet with VW president and friend Jack Masterson.

Pilgrimages to Lourdes, Fatima, Ars, Medugorje and the Shrine of the Immaculate Medal in Paris were unbelievable experiences for Janet.

Son Andy said, “Mom was an elegant and sophisticated woman with a rare blend of attributes. She was adventurous, nurturing, a visionary and a natural entertainer. But she was never one to suffer fools.”

Daughters Maureen and Marybeth said, “Our Mom championed the unborn, helping crisis pregnancy centers and other Catholic charities. She was a daily communicant and taught us that to get to heaven, nothing is more important than practicing the faith and following the teachings of the one, true Church founded by Jesus. Our mother devoted her life to her family and to others. She was a true blessing from God.”

Daughter-in-law Cathy Dillon said, “I really admired Jan’s willingness to try new things, and the way she challenged herself to learn new ways of doing things to keep up with technology and the world. I also always admired her beauty and grace, and especially her ability to tell a good joke.”

Grandson Jack Dinan Dillon said, “She always had the ability to work a room with class, elegance, and a sharp sense of humor. Any conversation, family gathering or party was elevated by her presence. While gatherings in this life will be duller, we can take solace knowing the ones above have become even richer.”

Fr. Pat Collins C.M., longtime friend, said, “To me, Jan was like a non-neurotic version of Mrs. Bennett in Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. She was the focal point of the whole family, which she so clearly loved and cherished. I admired her sharp intelligence and fun-loving sense of humor. I found her to be unusually witty and someone who was not self-conscious when it came to entertaining others on the guitar while she sang herself, or with the family. I particularly admired the fact that she had a well-informed faith and was guided in life by her beliefs."

Funeral visitation will be held at Harry J. Will Funeral Homes, 37000 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia, Michigan 48152, on Monday, April 27, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with the Rosary at 7:00 pm.

Funeral in state will take place at St. Valentine's Church, 14841 Beech Daly, Redford Township, MI 48239, on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from 10:00 am to 10:30 am, followed by the Funeral Mass officiated by the Rev. Raymond Bucon at 10:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to St. Valentine’s Catholic Church or Hospice of Michigan.