Janet J. Houston

Janet J. Houston (nee Pietig), 86, of Spring, Texas, passed away peacefully on July 17, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Janet (Jan) was a devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She was a stalwart of the Catholic faith, with quiet strength and graceful charm. Jan and her husband, William B. Houston (deceased) were married happily for 60 years. Together they shared a love of adventure and commitment to faith and family. Jan is survived by her five children and three grandchildren.

Jan was the daughter of Louis and Genevieve (nee Rupiper) Pietig. Born in Carroll, Iowa, on March 19, 1940, she was one of six children. She attended St. Peter and Paul grade school and Kuemper Catholic High School. Jan grew up spending summers in Spirit Lake, she loved water skiing, boating and fishing. At school her favorite subjects were math and history, and she liked to play sports, like basketball as well as play clarinet in the marching band. All during high school she worked part-time helping with sales and bookkeeping at her father’s Pepsi Cola bottling plants in Carroll, Mason City and Fort Dodge.

Jan left her small town in 1958 to attend college in Denver, Colorado, at Loretta Heights (now Regis University), earning her a B.A. in Social Studies in 1962. During her junior year (1961) Jan set off to Europe to study in Vienna, Austria. She was not only the first in her family to graduate college, but also the first to study and travel across Europe. It was in college and on the ski slopes that she met Bill, the love of her life. Jan and Bill married in 1962 at St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church in Carroll, Iowa.

As a life-long student, Jan continued her education with a M.A. in Philosophy from St. Louis University and University of Toledo. Further, she earned her Teacher Certification from University of Houston.

The family led an adventuresome life raising their family across six different States from Manhattan, KS, (US Army), Denver, Bartlesville, Ok, St. Louis, Mo, Findlay, Oh, and finally landing in Houston, Tx. Jan held a great love for Texas, with its friendly culture, beautiful nature and her wonderful community of church, friends and neighbors.

Jan’s life demonstrated her strong Catholic faith and service as the couple achieved the high honor of Knight Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre. She was thoughtful and generous

giving annually to a variety of religious and charitable organizations. She also volunteered as religion instructor, taught classes in yoga and English as second language, and worked as substitute teacher for local Houston area high schools.

In service to the Catholic community, Jan convinced her husband, Bill, to open Houston Catholic Books and Gifts on FM 1960 in May, 2000. A true labor of love, her successful bookstore kept them both busy during post-retirement until it was sold in 2015.

Jan’s love of travel took her to over 20 countries, often to holy and biblical sites from the ancient world. But she also loved to simply enjoy time with friends and family whether it be on her annual ‘sibling trips’, mother-daughter getaways, vacations in sunny Singer Island, Fl, or hiking and skiing in the mountains near Basalt, Co.

Jan’s life is a testament to her love and commitment to family. She is survived by her five children that include three sons Bill Jr, John and Peter (with wife Tricia Azzarello), her two daughters, Ellen and Theresa (with husband Sergio Trevino), and her three grandchildren, Kyra Trevino, and Scarlett and Saylor Houston-Azzarello.

A mass will be held at 11am, July 28, at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church, 7819 Cypresswood Drive, Spring, Tx, 77379; with the burial service at 2:30pm at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home and Cemetery, 12800 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston, Tx, 77077. Visitation will be on July 27, from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, at Brookside Funeral Home Champions, 3410 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston, Tx, 77068.