Janice Raye Kukuk

Preceded in death by her beloved husband William Duane (“Bill”) Kukuk and her grandson Peter Lee. Survived by children Duane (Desiree) Kukuk of Bloomington, MN, RayeLynn (Oscar) Lopez of South Jordan, UT, Cynthia (David) Lee of Fair Oaks, CA, and Mike (Leah) Stadther of St Cloud, MN, 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Born on March 28, 1941, Janice was the only child of Don and Beth Sweet. Like her mother, she loved her children and animals (especially dogs). She mirrored her father in being consistently well organized. She developed a love of ballroom dancing and travel in her youth. She visited all fifty states and multiple countries. Janice was ambitious. She graduated from the school of nursing at the University of Utah and worked as a public health nurse in Utah. She also served as secretary of the Utah State Board of Nursing.

She met Bill Kukuk in 1966 and they were married in June of that year. Following the birth of their first child, they moved to St. Cloud Minnesota. They had four children; Duane, RayeLynn, Cynthia and Michael. With her growing family, her focus shifted from professional nursing to teaching and guiding her children which she did with whole-hearted commitment and support. During her children's teenage years, she would often stay up late until they got home to converse and connect with them. Janice liked to spend one-on-one time with each of her children. She also encouraged them in the development of their talents and showed support by attending all of their various activities.

Janice enjoyed researching the history of her ancestors through genealogy. She joined the local genealogy club and served on its board at various times. She also organized and supervised the local family history library for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in St Cloud.

Later in her life, Janice traveled frequently to be with her children and eleven grandchildren who lived in various states. She was adored by each and all of her grandchildren who looked forward to her trips to visit them. She made her retirement home a welcoming and friendly place. In addition, she and Bill served two missions for the church. The first was a family services mission in Anchorage, Alaska. The second was a temple mission in Nauvoo, Illinois. She was adventurous and was frequently planning trips with Bill and/or her family. Her trip itineraries kept everyone moving and experiencing the world in new ways. Her children and grandchildren feel blessed to have her as their mother and grandmother and will carry on her legacy as a true friend and confidante.

Janice will be laid to rest in a private graveside service on Saturday, July 5, 2025 at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary in Millcreek, Utah. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.