Janet was born on August 14, 1950 in Hoboken NJ. She is the daughter of Helen and Joe Mallen. Siblings include Jim Mallen (Cheryl), Joe Mallen (Anne) and the late Helen Mallen. Janet was the apple of her dad's eye. She is known to family members as chicky babe, and by her brothers as Janet the Planet from "Mars". No matter what she was called, the terms all describe Janet as one special individual.
As Janet was the youngest of four, at times she became the object of her brother Joe's teasing, while at the same time both brothers were most protective of her. Her upbringing was very family- oriented and included wonderful vacations spent at the beach in Wildwood Crest New Jersey. In this special place a piece of Janet will remain. In addition to Janet’s immediate family she enjoyed multiple warm relationships with a variety of Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and Nephews.
Janet graduated from North Bergen High School and shortly thereafter she landed an excellent job that started a lifelong career path in transportation. Her hard work coupled with her exceptional people skills has ensured her success in every endeavor. One only needed to listen in to Janet speaking with one of her drivers and negotiating an unanticipated load at the last minute, to know how engaging she can be and the kind of relationships she developed with her contractors.
In the late 70's Janet's adventurous spirit led her to Golden Colorado where she really discovered the beauty of the West. From there she moved to the Seattle Washington area where she made many friends and furthered her career. In 1988 Janet had the opportunity to move to Arizona continuing with Yellow Freight. It was there that she met the love of her life, Joe Ondyak. After a five year courtship they finally married in 1995 at the Princess Resort (Paradise Island) in San Diego California. In Joe she found a lifelong friend and companion and a person she shared so many of life's pleasures with. These pleasures included forming a relationship with Joe (Joe Ondyak’s son) and her Daughter in Law and seeing the birth of her two grandchildren, Kennadi (20) and Noah (17). As a mother in law, Janet was the coolest and zaniest. Her relationship with her family has brought her much joy throughout the years.
Janet was an exceptional cook that no one would dare to challenge. Her love for her cooking was always accompanied by fine wine. As an oenophile she traveled throughout the California region to discover wonderful wine pairings for her gourmet meals, which she generously shared with others. Weekly, she went to AJ’s and consulted with her own wine expert, Lou. The planning, execution, and conversation about culinary arts brought Janet much joy!
Janet made and maintained many beautiful friendships throughout the years. This loyalty and commitment to friendship was just one more endearing quality about her. Whether it was at a wine tasting, boot camp, or any social event Janet lit up the room. Monthly Martini and Manicure nights with her local BFF’s were a high point….. Oh Lord could they dance!
As many of you know, Janet was an avid golfer. In fact, this is where Janet and Joe met on a blind date. She always strived to do her best when it came to golfing. No matter what club house she went to, she was noted as the “queen” and they were always ready to serve her.
Janet will always be remembered and admired as a devoted individual who has that spark and sassiness that everyone gravitates towards. She is a no nonsense woman who will tell you exactly how she feels at all times. Janet’s love for life will continue with all of us each day. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Mayo Clinic Cancer Research in memory of Janet Ondyak, 13400 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
A visitation will be held at 5:30 with a memorial service at 6:30, Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 S Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ.
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