Janice E. Dekker

Janice passed away peacefully on her birthday, Saturday January 17, 2026, at Woodland Terrace in Otsego, surrounded by family who adored her. The daughter of Jospeh and Ardith (Bullock) Webber she was born in Kalamazoo in 1944 with a fire, a wit and a heart big enough to hold everyone she met, she lived a life overflowing with laughter, love and unapologetic personality. 

Janice was a secretary for the United Auto Workers Union Hall for 30 years. After retiring from her position at the union, she worked at Meijer in the produce department. Janice loved gardening, cooking, eating, and being with family. 

You simply couldn’t be around her without laughing; her joy was contagious, her silliness unmatched, and her ability to make people feel welcome was one of her greatest gifts. She treated everyone fairly and equally, and she never met a stranger. Her home was a revolving door of friends, neighbors, and anyone who needed a warm place to land. 

She loved her cats, doted on her family and harassed her husband, Jim mercilessly, always out of pure, mischievous love. Together, she and Jim spent many happy years on Pine Lake, where she taught her grandkids the fine art of catching bullheads with nothing but hotdogs and a net. Those memories, full of sunshine, laughter, and muddy little hands, will be cherished forever. 

She was fiercely protective of the people she loved, keeping a legendary “hit list” of anyone who dared wrong her family, a list maintained with equal parts humor and loyalty. People were drawn to her warmth, her honesty, her humor and her beauty, both inside and out. She was, truly, a real beauty. 

She leaves behind a family who will forever miss her laughter, her stories, her stubborn streak, and her love. Though dementia slowly took pieces of her over the years, her spirit: bold, funny, loving and unforgettable remained. 

Her legacy lives on in the laughter she sparked, the people she welcomed, the family she protected and the countless lives she touched simply by being herself. 

Surviving are her loving husband, Jim; children, Christine Beach, Michelle (Rick) Try, Jamie (JR) Smith, James (Kate) LaPorte, Julie Dekker, and James Dekker; grandchildren, Jack and Laurel Beach, Jessica (Chris) Madill, Joshua (Paige) Schauer, Seth Woodward, Hayden and Hunter Carr, James Thomas, Amber (Ben) Hammon and Shalyn Bourdo; sister, Jane Heenan and niece, Corey Heenan. 

Janice was preceded in death by her parents, first husband, James LaPorte and nephew Jason Heenan.

According to her wishes, cremation has taken place.

Friends may meet with Janice’s family from 2-4pm and 6-8pm Friday January 23, 2026, at the Winkel Funeral Home in Otsego, with a rosary service at 7:30pm. 

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00am on Saturday January 24, 2026, at St. Margaret Catholic Church in Otsego with Rev. Fr. Simon Manjooran officiating.

Contributions in memory of Janice may be directed to Alzheimer’s Association or The American Cancer Society. 

Messages of condolence may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com.