Janet Lynn Flowers

Janet Lynn Rutkowski Flowers passed away on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the age of 67. Born April 27, 1959, at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, Janet lived for many years with chronic leukemia, meeting its challenges with quiet strength and determination while continuing to work, care for others, and spend time with her family.

Raised in an Air Force family, Janet developed an adventurous spirit early in life. Her childhood carried her from the Philippines to California, Alabama, Texas, and Virginia, where she attended elementary school, before she graduated from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas. She went on to attend Texas State University and SST Travel School of Texas. Her love of adventure continued throughout adulthood, as she spent her twenties, thirties, and forties living in Japan, Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Florida before eventually returning home to Austin.

Janet had a compassionate and caring heart, with a particular concern for anyone who needed a helping hand. For twelve years, she worked at the Austin State Supported Living Center, where she helped provide programs for seniors—work that reflected her caring nature.

Among Janet’s greatest joys was time spent with her beloved father, Jack. Every month she made the trip from the Austin area to College Station to visit him—preparing home-cooked meals, taking him to lunch, or setting out together on leisurely drives through the Texas countryside to Brenham or Lake Conroe. She was more than a devoted daughter; she was his attentive companion and a loving presence in his life. Those simple adventures and treasured moments reflected the empathy and kindness that defined her.

Janet was preceded in death by her loving mother, Betty Ann Kor Rutkowski. She is survived by her father, John Albert “Jack” Rutkowski; her brothers, Jack David Rutkowski, and Jeffrey Wayne “Jeff” Rutkowski and his wife, Kim; her sister, Judith “Judy” Rutkowski Stanley and her husband, Bret; and her nephews, Jacob Gregory “Jake” Rutkowski, Reed Austin Stanley, Weston Connor Stanley, and Blake Kirkland Stanley.

The words of Matthew 25:40 capture the life Janet lived: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Her family takes comfort in their faith, trusting that Janet has been reunited with her beloved mother and cherished dog in the peace of heaven.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, November 6, 2026, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in College Station, Texas, with Janet’s cremated remains present. Burial will follow in a private family ceremony at College Station City Cemetery, where Janet will be laid to rest beside her mother.

In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests that memorial contributions be made in Janet’s memory to Classic Canines, Inc., a senior dog advocacy organization in Austin, Texas, in honor of her lifelong compassion for animals. Donations may be made at www.classiccanines.org/donate-now.