Janet (Kepner) McWhorter passed away at home on June 23, 2015 with family at her side. She was 87 years old. She is survived by her husband Malcolm, daughter Marta and her husband Stu Pechek, “extra daughter” Melissa Thyoneus; her brothers, Harry and Phil with their wives and children, and her cat Esperanza.
Janet was born on February 11, 1928, in Troy NY, to parents Harold R. and Barbara Kepner. She moved to Logan, Utah as a four year old when her father accepted a professorship at Utah State University. She attended Logan senior high school and during WWII volunteered at an area Internment Camp. After attending Utah State University for two years she graduated from Ohio Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Spanish, which proved very useful in later world travels.
After college Janet taught English at Utah State in Logan. She soon left for Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., pursing a Master’s Degree in Psychology where she met her future husband, Malcolm Myers McWhorter, an electrical engineering student. They married September 8, 1951 and were together for 64 years. Their daughter, Marta, was born on Dec. 3, 1953.
They lived in Portola Valley where Malcolm became a professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford. Although a primarily stay-at-home mom, Janet was very active in her daughter’s Peninsula school, neighborhood community and church activities, and later became deeply involved in organizations promoting human understanding and world peace.
Janet loved traveling to wild places, especially to her brother’s cabin in Colorado and to a shared family cabin in the Lake Tahoe area. On several occasions she ventured to Alaska, usually in the dead of winter, to visit her daughter Marta, bundling up for dog races at 40 below. Throughout her life Janet adventured to many countries around the world with family and friends, and enjoyed many weeks in India and South Korea where Malcolm had work assignments.
In 1996, life took a turn to the north when Janet and Malcolm visited Janet’s lifelong friends, Van and Jim Gimlet in Friday Harbor. They fell in love with the area and moved to San Juan Island the following year. Janet felt immediately at home here and loved the island community. She quickly became enveloped by Van’s circle of friends, and loved participating in their walking group, film and French groups and book club. She enjoying playing cards with her bridge group until she passed away.
Through Janet’s life, her passion above all else was animals; she gave generously to many local and international animal rescue organizations. On the home front and at various times, individual neighbor’s cats, knowing Janet’s love, would eventually become part of the McWhorter family. In addition, she knew all the cats and dogs in the neighborhood and the door was always open for anyone to stop by and chat, especially if they brought their dog to visit. She also cared for and deeply loved Marta’s malemute, Shika, when Marta worked field jobs.
A life long avid reader, she enjoyed all manner of books, from old English poets to modern biographies, from the early teachings of Christ to texts on Buddhist enlightenment, and from Sherlock Holmes to light weight whodunits.
With recent increasing health problems Janet spent quality time at home with her family and human friends, her fox friends at the door, her beloved cat, and her wonderful caregivers. A heartfelt thanks go to these fun, compassionate women who Janet so enjoyed to laugh and talk with.
Janet made friends so easily. Many people who knew her will probably remember her wonderful sense of humor and the conversations they had. She was involved and genuinely interested in your daily life, making you feel special. Janet’s beautiful handwritten notes and letters were always a treat received by her many friends and relatives. She will be so missed.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Following Janet’s spirit, memorial gifts may be made to the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor or to Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
