As the sun rose over "her beautiful brown hills", Janet K. Collins took the hand of God as He took her to Heaven on Saturday, September 5, 2009. Jan was born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 25, 1949 and was raised on a beautiful lake where she spent many hours watching the clouds, water and God's entire splendor. Jan was born to Edward and Aletha Gadow and was raised with the loving help of her Aunt Jan and Uncle Homer. She did not have any siblings but had four cousins whom adopted her as their sister. She spent many days on the dairy farm with her cousins. Those days were some of her most precious childhood memories. She was met joyously in Heaven by her Aunt and Uncle, Grandparents, cousins Marilyn and Virginia and her "second set of parents aka in-laws" Mik and Mel Collins. As a teenager, Jan moved to California due to health issues. She graduated with honors from Sweetwater High School in National City, California. During her senior year she was spotted by a young sailor who thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Jan and Steve dated long distance while Steve continued his Navy training and Jan attended San Diego State College. After being married on June 1, 1968 at the Navy chapel in San Diego, she joined Steve in Japan. For a 19 year old girl from Wisconsin, this began the greatest adventure of her life! While in Japan, their son Jason was born. She learned to love the ocean while in Japan and going to the beach quickly became one of her favorite things to do. The Navy moved the young family to San Francisco in 1971 and there they would spend as much time as possible walking up and down the Fisherman's Wharf. She dreamed of going back in retirement and "walking like that again" and eating shrimp cocktails. In June of 1972, their daughter Jennifer was born and the family was complete. The Navy again had other plans for the family and moved them back overseas to Okinawa, Japan. Jan loved being near the ocean and anywhere she hadn't been before as long as she was with her family, was home. Jan taught crocheting to many military wives while in Okinawa and learned more about the craft from the Mama-sans who spoke little English and she spoke little Japanese. Jan made the most beautiful crocheted pieces and they are greatly treasured by Steve and her children. When 1975 came, the Navy again moved the family. This time, they moved to Homestead, Florida where Steve continued Navy training and Jan attended Florida University as well as being the best mom and wife ever! In 1976, Steve left the Navy and the family moved to Bellingham, Washington. They lived there until moving to the Tri-Cities in 1978. Here Jan discovered the beauty in the high desert and the Horse Heaven Hills. While continuing her "most important job of being a Mom and wife", Jan took jobs at Russ Dean Ford in the finance dept, became a church secretary at West Highlands UMC and, for a time, sold Avon on the side. She continued her love of needlework and her creations will be forever valued to those who knew and loved her. Jan always considered being a Mom and wife as her true calling and put her heart and soul into it. In the 1980's she took a job as assistant director of the RSVP at the Volunteer Center. She loved to work with seniors. Jan never met a stranger! While doing this, Jan got "roped into" becoming the president of the Kennewick High Band Boosters and saw them through many uniform drives, fundraisers and countless performances. She loved all of the high school band members as her own and was happiest when the house was full of teenagers although she would jokingly complain of feeding the entire band. Everyone thought of Jan as Mom - a role she happily took on. To this day many of her "kids" still think of her as their second Mom. Steve's job took them to Yakima for a few years in the 1990's and there Jan worked at Bob Hall Honda. She was especially proud of the tomatoes that she grew in Yakima. She loved Miracle Grow and, well, the tomatoes quickly took over the yard! Jan and Steve still chuckled about it years later. In 1992 Jan and Steve moved back to their beloved Tri-Cities and Jan took a job as director of the RSVP at the Volunteer Center, again working with "her seniors". Jan started the local school supply drives as SHAKE, Project Warm Up which has now become local coat drives and poured her heart into helping others in any way possible. Jan became the director of Marketing at Hawthorne Court Retirement Center in the mid 1990's and stayed there until becoming ill in 1999. Jan became a Grandmother to Spencer Morgan Collins in 2001 and he lit up her life. She could not spend enough time with him as his parents, Jason and Ginny, are Coast Guard and they are moved around the country every few years. Jan's face lit up the room whenever he would come to see "Grandma Jan" and although their time together was short, Jan loved him more than words can express. She was so proud when he learned to read and could read a story to her. They had a mutual admiration society all of their own. Jan was loved by all and will be missed by those of us left behind to continue her legacy. Our lives are the better for knowing and loving her but most of all by being loved BY her. We will see her again in Heaven but life will not be the same while our journey continues without her physical presence. She will always be in our hearts and we know she is our angel, forever watching over us. Jan is survived by her adoring husband Steve Kennewick, WA who devoted the last 10 years of his life to her care, her daughter Jennifer Kennewick, WA, son Jason and his wife Ginny, and grandson Spencer all of San Pedro, California. Please join us as we celebrate her life Monday, September 14, 2009, 1:00pm, at Mueller's Tri-Cities Funeral Home, 1401 S. Union Street, Kennewick. A private family service at Desert Lawn Memorial Park will immediately follow. Friends are invited to a reception that will be held at her home later that day.