Janice Elaine Starkey Collins was born on June 14, 1941 in Fresno, California and went to be with our Lord Jesus on March 11, 2019.
Janice was born to Orval and June Starkey. She had six siblings: Victor, Margaret, Arthur, Carol, Chet, and Gayle. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years Richard Collins, as well as sons Randy, Eddie and Tim, and daughter Misty. She also leaves behind grandchildren Nichole, Bethany, Travis, Brooke, Ashley, John, Amy and 11 great-grandchildren.
Janice met Richard, the love of her life, at Sierra High School in 1957. These high school sweethearts married January 31, 1959; they loved and cared for each other for 60 years.
Their first child, Rodney, passed away at five weeks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome on October 6, 1959.
Janice worked as a chef at many restaurants in North Fork, Oakhurst, Coarsegold, and Bass Lake, prior to becoming Cafeteria Manager at North Fork School for 27 years, a job she loved. She cooked home-style breakfast and lunches for many children over the years.
Richard and Janice were members of Assembly of God Church for 20 years where they blessed their children with a Christian life.
Janice had several hobbies including crochet, crafts and making porcelain dolls. Her handmade dolls range in size from 1 inch to 5 feet 10 inches. She beautifully hand-painted and dressed them in her favorite styles.
Janice survived breast cancer for 29 years, as well as heart valve replacement and numerous strokes. She was a courageous and strong woman, physically and mentally. She was completely and unselfishly dedicated to her family. She cherished her husband, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren; she was so happy when she was around family. Christmastime was her favorite time of year, and she was especially pleased when she and dad could spoil the children — it gave them such joy and happiness.
After retirement Janice took on another role of raising three of her great-grandchildren. She stayed very active with her great-grandchildren and gardening. She loved working in the yard planting flowers and pulling weeds; it was one of her main joys in life. Another joy was talking for hours on the phone with her siblings.
Janice was an amazing woman with many talents. She was strong in her morals, convictions and fairness. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, mother in law and friend.
She will be missed and cherished for many years to come, when we talk of her and tell those stories we all have and hold in our hearts, so that she will live on for those in our family that will never get to know her.
