Janet Elizabeth VanDongen

Janet Elizabeth VanDongen (née Cone) of Rockledge, FL, was taken peacefully into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior on September 10, 2026, at St. Francis Hospice in Titusville, FL. Jan will be lovingly remembered and missed by her son Michael Sean VanDongen of Rockledge, son David Ryan VanDongen and wife Mary Kathrine (née Gallegos) of Viera, FL, three grandchildren: Collin VanDongen, Patti Gallegos (husband Mike), Kyle Gallegos (wife Samantha), and five great-grandchildren: Xavier, Michael, MaKayla, Connor, and Reagan. She will also be dearly missed by her sister Joy Ann (née Cone) and husband Tim Long of Tucson, AZ.

She is predeceased by her soulmate and loving husband David Charles VanDongen, her father William Bernard Cone, mother Elizabeth Eliza (née Elrod), “Mom” Martha Jane (née McCrary), and three brothers: William, Michael, and David Cone.

Jan was born October 30, 1950, in Thomasville, GA, and moved with her family to Cocoa, FL, as a young girl. She graduated from Cocoa High School in 1968, then began her career as a hair stylist. She soon met her soulmate, Dave, and they were married in 1974. They raised two sons together over the next two decades in Rockledge. After retiring in the mid-1990s, Jan pursued higher education, attaining an associate’s degree from Brevard Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) in psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2000.

Jan enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She was often found with a telephone in hand, having lengthy and animated conversations. She loved going on vacations with her family. Her greatest joy in life was being a grandma. In her later years, she spent most days working in her yard, where she prayed, meditated, and communed with her late father and eventually her late husband.

We offer our sincere thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Assisting Hands, who made it possible for Mom to remain at home until her final days. We also deeply appreciate the compassionate and professional staff at St. Francis Hospice for providing excellent care and comfort.

Jan will be laid to rest with her husband Dave in the Chapel of Peace at Florida Memorial Gardens in Rockledge, FL.