Janet Mary Shane

Our precious mother, Janet Mary Shane, passed away on December 16, 2025 in El Dorado County. She was 91 years old. She was a beautiful woman who touched the hearts of many and whose life will forever light our way.

Born in Redding, Pennsylvania on February 11, 1934, Janet also spent part of her childhood in North Carolina. As a young woman, she enjoyed drawing, painting and showing her dog, a Collie named Laddy. When the Helms family (mother, father and three teen-aged girls) moved to Long Beach, California, they shared a two story duplex with a family of five that lived upstairs including a boy, Kenneth “K.C.” Shane, who became Janet’s heartthrob and the man she would be married to the next 66 years. The young couple’s love story began while K. C. was in the United States Airforce, serving as an airplane mechanic and stationed in Aho, Arizona. They married on June 12, 1955 and honeymooned at Big Bear. It was during that time that they became enamored with the desert. Their family began in Lakewood, California, in a modest home just walking distance from the beach. Always up for a scenic drive, in 1964 the Shane’s loaded up their station wagon and set out North to Donner Lake for a vacation. Janet picked wild blackberries, served them in paper cups with sugar and milk, which was a real treat for the kids! On the return ride home to southern California, the water line on the car broke. It was necessary to pull over in Placerville for a repair. The mechanic, Mr. Kelly, invited the family to his home while the car was being fixed. As luck would have it, the house was for sale! K.C. and Janet could not pass up the opportunity. Though it meant starting from scratch, in a new town without relatives nearby and leaving the security of K.C.’s job, they purchased the 3 bedroom home on 3 wooded acres for $14,000. It was the beginning of an adventure. It was a frugal life but the family loved the freedom to explore and play in the forest that surrounded them. There was a running stream on the property and loads of wildlife. K.C. worked several different jobs until he found a career in law enforcement for El Dorado County as a jailor, then deputy sheriff and ultimately an Investigator for the District Attorney’s office. Janet worked as a meter maid for the City of Placerville. She was a beloved fixture in the community for many years and was known for her smiling disposition and professionalism. After that, Janet decided on a job that would be more conducive to the schedules of her school-aged children and so worked as a teacher’s aid for Gold Oak School in Pleasant Valley (the same school that her children attended) where she delighted in teaching art for 20 years.

Once retired and with their kids having left the nest, Janet and K.C. followed their dream of living in the desert where they had often taken many escapades in their camper over the years. They enjoyed hiking, fishing, jeeping and digging for artifacts. A favorite pastime was spending time exploring old ghost towns, honoring the stories of past generations. In 1991, together they built a small house on Walker Lake in Nevada located at the base of Mt. Grant. The solitude, beautiful sunsets, rugged landscape and dramatic weather would be their paradise; the home overlooking the lake would be their pride and joy for the rest of their days. One of Janet’s hobbies was rock collecting. She used them to decorate and landscape. She was lifting rocks well into her 80s. Janet was a founding and active member of a small working group which purpose was to preserve the ancient Walker Lake and the delicate wildlife that it sustained. Janet’s yard was a popular watering hole for herds of mountain goats as she kept a trough of fresh water filled for them.

Janet was a natural artist and had been since childhood. She had the remarkable ability to draw from memory. She saw the beauty in the world and it showed in everything she created. Some people will remember her for the murals that she painted on business windows on Main Street in Placerville during the holidays and Wagon Train Days. She could draw characters in the likeness of friends and family which made people smile. Christmas cards were hand-painted and personalized and cards to her children and grandchildren always included an inspirational poem that she had written. She was an avid reader of history, biography, science, faith and spirituality. Music was a constant in her home and she could sing along to her favorite songs as long as she was able to speak. Her favorite song was Blue Bird of Happiness which was her father’s favorite also. She could play the ukulele which forced her kids into to giggles and laughter (especially when playing and singing the Hawaiin War Chant.)

Janet was an excellent cook and could whip up a delicious meal or snack with very little in the cupboard. Spaghetti dinner, Poor Boy sandwiches, cakes and homemade bread were a few of her specialties. She gardened, canned, sewed, crocheted and tended to chickens, rabbits, goats, dogs and cats. She didn’t own a dishwasher or washing machine. The house in Pleasant Valley was on a well that dried up often and water usage could not be taken for granted. But there was no complaining. She made life fun. Janet cared about those who were in need, raised her children to appreciate what they had and to be thoughtful of others. This has been a lifelong lesson and a gift.

Mamma, thank you for your positive attitude and your selfless, tender love. You’ve made our lives rich with the things of true value. May we be blessed to walk in your footsteps.

The family wishes to extend their immeasurable gratitude to all of mom’s caregivers including Blissful Gardens, The Homestead, Snowline Hospice, Marshall Hospital and the Chapel of the Pines for ushering them through a long journey with Alzheimer’s disease. Thank you for your wisdom, guidance and kindness.