Janice "Jan" Olsen Willis' Obituary
Our dear mom, Janice “Jan” Olsen Willis, 88, of Covington, LA passed away on Friday, July 17, 2026, surrounded by her four children and daughter in law.
Janice was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, mother-in-law, friend and mentor. She was “Gram” and “Mommy Dots” to 10 grandchildren who adored her. A true Scandinavian of Norwegian and Finnish descent, with golden blonde hair and tan skin, Janice was born in San Franciso, CA on December 14, 1937, to Theodore “Ted” Olsen, originally from Walcott, North Dakota, and Evelyn Amanda Johnson Olsen of San Francisco. Her great grandparents and grandparents were tanners and farmers. She was the big sister to her younger brother, Gary. Janice grew up running and skating on the hilly streets of the Mission District in San Francisco and vacationing in the Russian River Valley with Gary and her cousin, Joan. She walked to Kate Kennedy Elementary and James Lick Junior High School. She loved her San Francisco favorites Molinari Salami, Boudin sourdough bread, Fisherman’s Warf, Ghirardelli chocolate, the cable cars, the hills, the smell of the bay and surf, and the Golden Gate Bridge. Her family later moved across the bay to San Rafael in Marin County where Janice attended San Rafael High School. She wanted to be a veterinarian more than anything but was told by the guidance counselor that was not a field open to women at that time and then opted for nursing instead. In 1958 she graduated from the Mt. Zion School of Nursing in San Francisco, where she became a Registered Nurse specializing in labor and delivery. Shortly after graduating, she traveled to Hawaii and later took a job at St. Luke’s hospital in Denver, Colorado where she would meet and later marry her beloved husband of 63 years, James Robert “Jim” Willis of Shreveport, LA. The original plan was for Jim to finish his residency at Charity Hospital and the two would return to Colorado for a life “out west”, but after Jim was offered the first chief radiology position at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, they felt they should give Covington a try; and there they stayed.
While she was a diehard California girl, she fully embraced and truly loved her adopted home state of Louisiana, trading “Yah Sure’s” for “Y’all”, and taught her children and grandchildren to love and appreciate the beauty, history and culture of our home state.
Janice was the mother of five children, Laura, Michael, Casey, Robert and Jami. While being a stay-at-home mother was her chosen career after retiring from nursing, she had many other talents and skills. She was an artist, an extraordinary baker, selling her famous German sour cream twist cookies to local shops. An incredible seamstress, she designed and created costumes for Playmakers Theatre in Covington and sewed everything from Barbie clothes to curtains. She was an enthusiastic community leader and served as a model to her children, encouraging us to do the same. She was a devoted doctor’s wife and helped to launch fundraisers for St. Tammany Parish Hospital. She served on many charitable and non-profit boards: Ladies Medical Auxiliary which provided nursing scholarships to local students, Cystic Fibrosis, Candy Stripers, garden clubs and countless school PTA’s. She taught Sunday School at the First Baptist Church of Covington and tutored children in reading at the old Rosenwald School. She was the swim team Mom and driver to hundreds of meets across the southeast, little league football mom, dance class mom, brownie and girl scout troupe leader, homeroom mom and late-night school project “assistant”. In 1996, she was named the Tchefuncta Club Estates “Woman of the Year” serving as the very first female board president and house chairman in the history of the estates and country club. She loved traveling around the world and was especially excited about her trip to Norway with Jim and her cousin Joan and husband Dick. She learned to cook many south Louisiana recipes from her beloved neighbor and friend, Sarah Champagne and was famous for her barbecued shrimp, red beans and rice and her delicious German sour cream twist cookies. A consummate learner, later in life, she went back to college to study art history, and she said she loved being the oldest student in the class. She survived flights in Jim’s tiny plane but was widely known to be a terrible back seat driver! Mom embraced growing old with humor and dignity. She was a good sport.
Janice is predeceased by her parents and her son, Robert. She is survived by her four children Laura (Mark) Gauthier of Tampa, Florida, Michael Willis of Charleston, South Carolina, Casey (Toni) Willis of Covington, Louisiana and Jami (Mitch) Worley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and her 10 grandchildren, Mark, Max and Mary Olive Gauthier, Hayden and Harrison Willis, True, Indie and Gray Willis, and Peyton and Madeline Worley.
Our mom was the life of the party but also the calming respite in our lives. She was an extraordinary listener and not quick to pass judgement. She was beautiful and elegant with a movie star’s smile, while teaching us to work hard and not be afraid to get our hands dirty. She was famous for her happy hours, which sometimes went on until the wee hours, where all of the world’s problems could be solved and roars of laughter could be heard from her gazebo. Her passing has left a void in our hearts which will never be filled, but she helped us to become strong, determined adults who will carry on her zest for life, her love of family and friends, and trust in God. Rest in peace sweet Mama. We love you.
Funeral Services will take place on Saturday, August 1st at E.J. Fielding Funeral Home, 2260 West 21st Avenue, Covington, Louisiana. Visitation will be from 10:00 – 11:00 am, service immediately following at 11:00 am, followed by burial service at Dendinger Cemetery.
E.J. Fielding Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements. The family invites you to share thoughts, fond memories, and condolences by signing an online guestbook at https://www.ejfieldingfh.com.
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