Obituary of Janice Fardette

Janice Grace Fardette

Rochester, NY – died peacefully on Monday, May 27th at age 79, with all four of her children by her bedside, expressing their love for her. She is preceded in death by her parents, Lyle & Anna (Rodak) Fardette. Her siblings, Carole Foulkrod, Robert Fardette, and James Fardette.
She is survived by her children, Tom (Amy) Butler, Lisa (Art) Zimmer, John (Judy) Butler, and Jennifer Wesline. Her grandchildren, Christopher, Kristen, Arthur, Matthew, Jesica, Sarah, Nicolas, Joseph, David, Zachary, Eric, and Jay. Her great-grandchildren Alexis, Skylar, Joelle, Hadley, Vivian, Noah, and Sebastian (with one on the way). Her sister, Yvonne Dailey, and Brother-in-law James Foulkrod.
As a single mother, she initially provided for her children by working as a waitress at places such as Tale of the Whale and The Lamplighter (where she learned to cook Hungarian dishes).
In 1980 she switched to factory work at Whirlwind Music (assembly, driver, data entry). In 1984 she was hired by Kodak (chemical handler and secretary), where she spent the next several years. In 1989, she chose to return to school and upgrade her GED from Charlotte High School into a BA in Education, graduating with honors in 1993 from SUNY Brockport. She was a proud inductee of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. Shortly after earning her degree, she felt a call in a different direction; to help the ill and infirm. She spent almost 30 years of her life as an HHA working for Tender Loving Care, Genesee Region Home Care, ViaHealth, and Lifetime Care and Hospice, retiring in 2020. She continued as a dedicated Hospice volunteer at The Vincent House in Wayland, retiring in March of 2024. In 2005, she became a member of Mensa, the high IQ society. However, she always considered her family her greatest accomplishment.
She was very creative and enjoyed several hobbies over the years, which she shared with her children: music appreciation, skating (roller and ice), gardening, singing, dancing, cooking, bowling, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, cards, genealogy, and Scrabble. One of her most favorite pastimes was camping, especially at the Thousand Islands, where she began taking her children every year in 1974. Swimming, fishing, hiking, boating, wildlife, campfires and “ice cream walks” were all part of this experience. She bowled on several leagues over the years, most recently the Parkette’s at Dewey Gardens where she finished her 10th and final season (still with her 14lb ball!) in March of 2024. She was fiercely independent and never used the word “Can’t”, always finding a way to get things done and make ends meet. She approached every obstacle as a challenge to solve and never gave up. As her grandchildren grew, she began holding an annual Grandma Camp at her home in Wayland, to teach them camping and life skills and bond with them. They all remember these times fondly. Her final gardening project was growing a rose bush. A single red rose bloomed the morning of her passing, as she moved on to her homecoming.

Per Janice’s wishes, no services are scheduled. Private interment.