Janice Lee Middleton
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Janice's obituary
With deep love and profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Janice Lee Middleton, who left this world on March 5, 2026, at the age of 71.
Born on January 18, 1955, Janice lived a life defined by creativity, humor, resilience, and a remarkable ability to find beauty in places others might overlook.
She passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, held in the same warmth and devotion she had always given so freely.
Janice had a gift for transforming the ordinary into something meaningful. Whether she was restoring antiques, crafting art from unexpected materials, or uncovering treasures in the most unassuming corners of the world, she saw life through a lens of imagination and possibility. Her artistic spirit was unmistakable.
She was also wonderfully funny — quick‑witted and able to make people laugh even on the hardest days. Her warmth made others feel at home, and her kindness made them feel understood, and loved.
She was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back without a second thought — generous, selfless, and always ready to help anyone who needed her.
Janice is survived by her children, Dexter Washer, Shannon Hellinger († Joseph), Christen Kazmierczak (Michael), and Cara Gingrow, who carry forward her creativity, her humor, and her fierce love.
She is also survived by her father, Roger Voorhis, her siblings, her beloved grandchildren, great‑grandchildren, extended family, and many friends whose lives were brightened by her presence.
She was predeceased by her beloved mother, Emma Voorhis, and her son‑in‑law, Joseph Hellinger, whom she now joins in peaceful rest.
Her absence leaves an ache that words cannot fully capture, but her legacy lives on in the laughter she sparked, the beauty she created, and the love she gave so freely.
May her memory be a blessing and a reminder to find joy in small things, to treasure the imperfect, and to live with an open, creative heart.
A celebration of Janice’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages acts of kindness or creative expression in her honor — the truest reflection of who she was.
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