Janice Christine Lakin

Janice Christine (Jensen) Lakin died peacefully at Paradise Villa Adult Family Home on August 1, 2023, surrounded by her family. Jan lived at Paradise Villa for the past three years and our family is grateful for the love and support she received while in their care.

Jan was born in Bellingham on October 14, 1938, to Jens and Myrtle Jensen. She grew up in Skykomish, graduated from Skykomish High School in 1956 and attended Bellingham Business College. Jan moved to Seattle and worked at the Northern Life Insurance Company.

On August 23, 1958, Jan married Derrell Lakin in Bellingham. They lived in Seattle until May 1961 when they moved to the Renton Highlands where they made their family home and raised their children, Tami, and Scott.

Jan enjoyed writing poetry, painting, making special birthday cakes, loved to dance, and spend time with family (especially her grandchildren: Jeff, Alyse, and Mac), friends, and neighbors. She was a Camp Fire leader for 15 years and PTA president. Jan took lessons and got her driver’s license as well as taking swimming lessons so she could swim with the kids.

Jan took classes at Renton Technical College and began working part time at Kelly Services in 1977. She was a computer programmer at Flow Industries until the late 1990s.

Vacations included an annual family tent camping trip to Buck Meadows, many trips to the ocean and vacations to Yellowstone and Disneyland. When they were empty nesters, Jan and Derrell traveled to Kauai where they bought a time share condo where the entire family vacationed together. They cruised the Caribbean, and bought a motorhome, traveling to many states.

Jan was the primary caregiver when Derrell became ill, and they were still able to make their annual trip to Kauai. After Derrell passed in 2012, Jan made one more trip to Kauai with her family. She stayed in the family home for three years, moved to Assisted Living and after a fall, to Paradise Villa.

Janice is preceded in death by her husband Derrell and her parents. She is survived by her daughter Tami (Duane) Henkel, son Scott Lakin, grandson Jeff Henkel, granddaughter Alyse (Anthony) Lynn, grandson Macauley (Makaili) Lakin, great-grandson Griffin Lakin and sister, Anita Vander Yacht.

Janice will be forever loved and will be honored at a service at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton on August 25, 2023, at 1pm.