Janelle Cutshaw Nevins

Janelle Cutshaw Nevins, age 62, died on Thursday August 9th, 2012. Janelle had been battling illnesses that defied diagnosis and her strong spirit left her weak body surrounded by family and friends at Hospice Atlanta.

Janelle was a devoted wife, married to Art Nevins for 42 years, loving mother and adoring grandmother. She was a teacher, leader, mentor, advisor, champion, pioneer and most of all, dedicated friend.

Daughter of Harvey A and Frankie Temple Cutshaw, Janelle was born in 1949 in Tennessee. She lived in Sevierville until she went to The University of Tennessee, where she was a Sigma Kappa and the Sigma Chi Little Sister. It was there she met and married her college sweetheart, Art Nevins, and the two moved to Atlanta.

With a MS in Early Childhood Education, she was a valuable member of the Fernbank Elementary School Faculty after college. While on maternity leave caring for her new born son and unable to sit still, she began working part time with her husband and father-in-law in their basement run business. The third grade school teacher made a cold call to business giant, Coca-Cola, and closed her first business deal.

Soon after she landed the first of many deals with Coca-Cola, she fell in love with the promotional products industry and became Atlanta’s Marketing Maven. Coca-Cola would become her most prestigious customer and largest account as she effectively became a marketing liaison between the field and the company’s corporate headquarters.

Janelle loved her work because it wasn’t a job, it was a challenge, it was an opportunity and she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the interactions, the problems and solutions, the process and discovery, and most of all the people. She enjoyed each day and she treasured the relationships she picked up along the way as friends and family.

Beyond her talent in business, was her character. She was a gifted sales woman, but she gave more than she sold. She thrived on teaching, coaching and mentoring. Everyone Janelle worked with called her friend, because that is what she was very best at, making and keeping friends.

Janelle achieved too many accolades to list and served too many roles to include them all, but to name a few:

She was given the Orville Smith Community Service Award in 1995, named one of the 15 Most Outstanding Women in the Promotional Products Industry in 1996, Recognized as one of the 30 Most Influential Women Business Leaders in Atlanta in 1998, and was the ASI Person of the Year in 1999. She served as president (1980-1984) and member of the Atlanta UT Alumni Board from 1975 to present, she served on the PPAI Board of Directors, and she was a founding member of PeerNet Group, which thrives as a leading industry distributor-supplier partnership.

Nearest to her heart was Janelle’s family.

Janelle is survived by her husband, Art Nevins; daughter, Whitney Nevins; Son, Preston Nevins and his wife Dallas and two grandchildren, Cole and Sears Nevins, all of Atlanta. Other survivors include her brother Kenneth Cutshaw and his family, De, Drew and Christy.

She has many aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as countless friends whom she called family. To list them the all would take the whole paper. She loved each and every one of you dearly.

The family will be receiving visitors at Cherokee Town Club ( coat required ) on Thursday Evening at 6:30 in the East West Room. Memorial Service will be held at the Sanctuary at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Road, on Friday August 17th at 11:00 a.m. A reception for family and friends will be held in the Williams center immediately following the service, followed by a burial at Arlington Cemetery.

Janelle lived life as if each day was a special occasion. She celebrated each moment and she will be celebrated. The family asks that guests wear bright colors to the memorial service in honor of Janelle’s bright spirit.

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in her name to either the Orbit Village (www.orbitvillage.org), a charity very close to her heart, or the National Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her mother (http://act.alz.org/goto/JanelleNevins)