Janet Frances White

Janet Frances (Weiss) White, 85, of Laurence Harbor, passed away Monday, January 13, 2025 with her family by her side.  Born in Hoboken, her family spent many summers in Laurence Harbor and moved there permanently in the early 1950’s. 

Janet attended Memorial School and Sayreville High School and often shared memories of all the fun times she had and of all the lifelong friends she made.  Many of her stories featured Tom White whom she married in 1958.  Janet and Tom settled in Laurence Harbor and raised their family.  

Janet worked as an Old Bridge Township crossing guard for more than 30 years. She loved the job and the kids on her post.  She would sew little hearts, pumpkins and snowmen for each of them during the holidays and was always delighted when a new child would begin school and their parent would say, “This is Mrs. White, she was my crossing guard too!”

Janet enjoyed being busy and being outdoors, she gardened, decorated her back porch and fed the birds and the squirrels!    She was a talented crafter; making ceramics and décor for her home and sewing quilts and pillows for her grandchildren’s dolls – most of all she loved to paint.  Her home was filled with crafts that Tom built and she painted, and many were given as special one-of-a-kind gifts to grandchildren, family and friends.   

Janet also loved to travel and shop.  She’d often go to Lancaster to visit the outlets and buy gourds to create painted birdhouses.  She went on multiple cruises with loved ones and would travel anywhere there was a shady beach where she could walk and collect shells and sea glass.  And she was a regular at the Dress Barn, where she always “found something cute!”

Sometime after Tom’s death Janet reconnected with Bill Howells (Lefty), who she first met during her school years and Janet & Lefty have been together since.  She and Lefty were the perfect pair – they enjoyed traveling, dining out, being with friends and most of all just being together.   Lefty was precious to her and is a blessing to her family.
 
Janet had a life full of love, family and friendships.   She made her home of over 70 years welcoming and cozy and she loved being there with her family – especially her grandchildren - there was always silly fun and lots of laughs to be had at Gram’s!  Gram always took great care of her grandkids, during the holidays there was always gingerbread house making, the best English muffin bread and homemade rice pudding.  In the summer, fresh brewed iced tea on the back porch, and anytime and always, milk & cookies!

Daughter of the late Victor and Marion Weiss, she was predeceased by her brother, Old Bridge Police Captain Robert V. Weiss, Sr. and her loving husband Thomas R. White.  She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Thomas and Denise White of Helmetta and David and Diane White of Millstone Twp; her beloved grandchildren Lyndsie Cacace and her husband Michael, Jamie White, Tommy White and Katie White; her partner Bill Howells and her nephew Robert V. Weiss, Jr., his wife Carlene and their family; as well as dear cousins, friends and neighbors.

Memorial visitation and a celebration of life will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2025 from 11am to 1pm at The Gundrum Service “Home For Funerals”, 237 Bordentown Avenue, South Amboy. Cremation was private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate.

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