Janet McNeil Zacharias

Janet McNeil Zacharias, 71, passed away on Friday, June 23, 2023 at her home in Cypress, TX. Janet was born September 7, 1951 in Houston, to parents John E. and Gladys Weimann McNeil. She graduated from Tomball High School in 1970, and attended Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating with a B.A. in English in 1974 and an M.A. in English in 1976.

At SFA, Janet met her husband of 46 years, Mark S. Zacharias. They married on May 28, 1977 in Nacogdoches, TX. She had two wonderful children, Nathan and Jessie, both born in Colorado Springs, CO. Janet and Mark raised their family in Austin, TX, which they considered their family hometown. Janet always said she had the great blessing of living in wonderful cities: Colorado Springs, Austin, Kansas City, Georgetown, and she was happy to live her last year in Cypress, TX near family and her four beloved grandchildren. Life-long friendships that Janet cherished were made in each city.

Janet loved teaching for its opportunity to be creative and its unpredictability, and she touched the lives of countless students, many of whom stayed in touch long after graduation. She taught classes at middle school, high school, and college levels, teaching for many years at Cedar Park High School, Austin Community College, and Notre Dame de Sion High School in Kansas City, MO. She regularly volunteered and worked with children at her churches in Colorado Springs, Austin and Prairie Village, KS.

Janet was an advocate of education, an avid reader and a lifelong learner. After retiring from teaching in 2018, she volunteered for the Literacy Council of Williamson County, teaching immigrants to speak English. This led her to start learning Spanish at the age of 68, an endeavor she continued to study through the last year of her life.

Janet lived a quiet life, preferring home, the company of her family, close friends, snuggling with her dogs and reading to almost everything else. She cherished times reading to and playing with her grandchildren. Janet loved to hike and take family vacations in the Texas Hill Country, the mountains of many states, and the Pacific Northwest. She was a woman of deep spiritual faith, and is now at peace with her Savior, free of all suffering.

Janet is survived by her husband, Mark of Cypress; her brother, Gary McNeil and wife Tissie Elliot of Austin; son Nathan Zacharias and wife Lindsey Doyle of Edmonds, WA; daughter Jessie Zacharias Heston and husband Nat Heston of Cypress; her four grandchildren, Mason, Campbell, Hayes and Kinley Heston; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Janet’s memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, or in honor of Janet’s grandsons, Mason and Hayes Heston, to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A Celebration of Janet’s Life and reception will be held in Austin on Saturday, July 8 at 2:00p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish, 5416 Parkcrest Drive.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wcfishnorth.com for the Zacharias family.