Janet Flo Lane, of Watervliet, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 1, 2021 at Spectrum Health Lakeland in St. Joseph after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Janet was born on Sept. 27, 1938 in Benton Harbor to Ralph Edward Mueller and Eleanor (Snyder) Mueller. A lifelong resident of Southwest Michigan, Janet graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1956. Upon graduating, Janet worked at VM Corporation (Voice of Music) for several years, as well as for a brief time at Ryan and McQuillan.
On June 11, 1960, Janet married George Lee Lane of Benton Harbor, and they began to build their life together in Riverside, Michigan. Janet stayed home to focus on raising their sons, Douglas and David, and to assist George with his growing performance auto parts business, where she handled the bookkeeping and numerous other tasks at the newly launched Lane Automotive.
All the way into her eighties, Janet maintained a regular presence at Lane Automotive, often working behind the scenes, especially as the boys, and later her grandchildren, grew up and became involved in the company, making it truly a family business, and helping to shape the company’s culture. She could frequently be found in the office, and also was a regular fixture at the Lane Automotive car show and other company events, where she and George would visit with customers and enthusiasts.
A survivor of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in her 30s, Janet took a special interest in supporting Relay for Life as well as Spectrum Lakeland Medical Center and as an active member of the Southwest Michigan community. She was also involved with a number of local organizations and events. Lifelong residents of the area, both she and George made generous donations to support the Watervliet Hospital, its construction, and the fitness parcourse located on the hospital grounds.
Janet was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Dale Edward Mueller, and her husband of 60 years, George.
She is survived by her sons, Douglas (Kimberlee) Lane and David Lane; grandsons, Darren and Dustin Lane; and her granddaughter, Karianne Lane.
The family is planning a small, private funeral service. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery in Watervliet. Memorials may be made to Hospice at Home or to the Berrien County Humane Society. Those wishing to leave an online message of remembrance may do so at www.duffieldpastrick.com.