With this column, Pikes Peak Newspapers says goodbye to a lady whose positive demeanor and gentle spirit touched everyone.
Janet Rose Lyons, a long-time Colorado Springs resident, died Thursday, Oct. 10 at age 94. The news was one of shock and disbelief, as if I had lost one of my own family members. Indeed, Janet was that and more.
Since Janet's passing, I have spent many quiet moments reflecting on how I came to know this remarkable woman. In August 2013, Walter Publishing hired me to write for the Cheyenne and Woodmen Editions. I met Janet during one of my visits to the office. We struck up a friendship and the rest, as they say, is history.
To say Janet fascinated me would be an understatement. A survivor of the Great Depression and World War II, Janet married, raised a family, built a career as an educator and librarian and carved a reputation as a member of the fourth estate.
Although not a professional journalist, Janet took to writing as a fish does to water, the descriptive imagery that flowed from her pen a testament to her wordsmithing skills. I read her stories and was amazed at how this senior citizen continued working long after people 25 years her junior sought to collect and live on their Social Security income.
Boasting an unquestionable love for humankind, Janet embodied everything decent and good. However, health issues disrupted Janet's lifestyle and in September 2015, she checked into the PEO Colorado Springs Chapter House on West Cheyenne Road.
Janet's decision saddened me. A person whom I had come to admire would no longer be working for PPN. The pen that had written copious notes had been capped, the computer that once produced near flawless copy, unplugged. Her departure seemed unthinkable, if not impossible.
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Often, my wife, Peggy, and I visited with Janet and talked for hours about her love of Jesus, her family and companion dog, Blessing. The twinkle in her eyes said it all: Janet loved and lived life to the full.
Janet's prescription for life was to keep on keeping on. Through her work, she demonstrated that age is just a number, that work keeps a person alive, and that a sense of humor can survive any personal and professional storm. "Keep writing, keep doing, keep living," she told me over tea and cookies.
After my last visit with Janet, both COVID-19 struck and I sustained an injury that weakened my feet and leg muscles. As I worked to rebuild my strength, I often thought of Janet whose can-do spirit was the medicine I needed to lift me out of my depressive chasm.
After nearly four years of therapy, I began walking upright again. I thought about Janet and determined to visit with and surprise my friend with a plate of freshly-baked homemade cookies. Sadly, that chance never happened.
Janet was an intelligent, loving, classy lady whose cheerful "can-do" personality could inspire the most stubborn, ill-willed attitude and melt the coldest heart. I will miss her work ethic, counsel and, above all, her friendship. Thank you, Lord, for Janet Rose. Our loss is Heaven's gain.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to Immanual Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or the Alabama Sheriff's Youth Ranches.
William J. Dagendesh is an author, writer and retired U.S. Navy Chief Photojournalist, Editor and Public Affairs Officer. He and his wife, Peggy, have lived in southern Colorado 25 years. Contact William with comments or ideas for his column at [email protected].