Janell Law Everest (lovingly known as The Queen Bee) died peacefully Thursday, July 25, 2019 in Harbor Springs, Michigan surrounded by three generations of her loving family. Janell was born on July 26, 1923 in Oklahoma City to Barton Law and Gladys Arnoldi Law. Janell attended Edgemere Elementary School, Harding Junior High and Classen High School in Oklahoma City. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1945 with a BA in Education where she was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Janell married the love of her life, Jean I. Everest on October 5, 1946. Jean served in the US Navy during WWII in the Pacific. They were married for 48 years when Jean died in 1994.
Janell was blessed to have an exceptionally loving and close family over which she reigned as matriarch for decades. Janell was naturally beautiful and had a quick wit. She was stylish, elegant and the life of the party but most notably she guarded over her family with a passionate fervor. In her eyes, her boys never did anything wrong! She made a beautiful home and filled it constantly with family and friends. She was truly blessed with the gift of hospitality. No matter the age, everyone felt comfortable around Janell. She was quick to pick up games of bridge, mahjong, liar’s dice and Rummikub. She would needlepoint for hours and produced innumberable beautiful rugs and pillows which she shared with her family.
Janell knew how to perpetuate traditions. In addition to hosting Christmas Eve dinner for 50 straight years, she also hosted weekly Sunday night dinners with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for decades. Truly, her greatest passion was her family. She taught her children the importance of love of family, concern for others, giving back to one’s community and being sure to enjoy the precious gift of life. She was an amazing example of resilience. When times got tough, she would say that “this too shall pass”. She lived in gratitude; such a great example to all who knew her.
Janell was very active in civic and social clubs in Oklahoma City. She was a founding member of The Chase Club and she is one of a few remaining members of the Crazy Ladies Mahjong Club. Janell was active with Allied Arts, All Souls’ Episcopal Church, Mobile Meals, Casady School and the Junior League of Oklahoma City. She chaired the Beaux Arts Ball and the Winter Ball.
Janell’s second home was in Harbor Springs, Michigan. She was an active member of The Little Harbor Club and Wequetonsing Golf Club. She was a regular parishioner of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Harbor Springs. Over the years, she took great pleasure just sitting on her porch overlooking Lake Michigan. She enjoyed her martini till the end and she would host family and friends who showed up everyday at 6:00. As the evening went on, she would refer to the lights of Petoskey across the bay as her jewels as she admired the stunning beauty of the lake.
Janell also enjoyed almost 60 years in Naples, FL with her friends and family at the Bahama Club. Her favorite pastime was visiting with friends on the beach at sunset always hoping for the green flash. She always wore “rose colored” glasses where she saw the best in others and situations so she would invariably claim to have seen the green flash even on cloudy evenings!
Janell is predeceased by her husband Jean Everest and her special friend, Joe Rumsey. She is also predeceased by her brother, James B. Law and her grandson, Jimmy Everest.
She is survived by her three sons: Jim Everest and his wife Christy, Pete Everest and his wife Shirley, and Chip Everest and his wife Gayle. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Tricia Everest, Mary FitzSimons and her husband Colin, Lawre Morrow and her husband Cullen, Peter Everest, Robbie Everest and his wife, Lindsay, Emily Everest, and Christopher Everest and his wife Kwynn. She is also survived by eight great grandchildren: Peter, Michael, Finn and Bo FitzSimons, Teddy Morrow and Lucy, Barton and Nell Everest. She is also survived by her nieces, Janell Flanery and her husband Kevin, Tricia Law, Mary Tevington and her husband Andrew, Marilyn Naylor and her husband Frank, her nephew, Bart Law, and her sister in law, Marilyn Law.
The family would also like to thank her caregivers who took such loving care of her for over ten years. While Janell had many people who took such great care of her, we would like to especially thank Susan Harge, Kalani Collins, Tracy Long, Linda McCormick and Vitina Simpson for her personal care as well as Dixie McEwen, Lola Bivens, Melva Burney and Rick Brunson for so many years of faithful service.
There will be a service at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at All Soul’s Episcopal Church in Oklahoma City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Janell’s memory to either All Souls’ Episcopal Church, Casady School or St. John’s Episcopal Church in Harbor Springs, MI.
