Janice Lee Cox Crist

Memoriam: Janice Lee Cox Crist (10/15/39 – 4/17/23)

Janice Lee (Cox) Crist, a loving wife, mother, and devoted member of her community, passed away peacefully on April 17, 2023, after a long illness. Born in Salina, Kansas, on October 15, 1939, to Richard and Dorothy Jean Cox, Janice grew up with two younger brothers in the aftermath of the Great Depression.

After several moves, the Cox family settled in the San Fernando Valley in 1952, where Janice embraced the quintessential “valley girl” style of the era, complete with poodle skirts, white lace socks, and saddle shoes. Her youthful appearance could easily have been mistaken for Olivia Newton John from the film “Grease.”

An early talent for singing and playing the piano led Janice to pursue a degree in Music from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. It was there that she met Robert Crist, a 6’6” redheaded pre-med student. The couple fell in love and married in the summer of 1961, before moving to Omaha, Nebraska, where Robert began his second year of medical school at Creighton University.

Janice and Robert’s family grew with the birth of their first daughter, Jennifer, in 1963, followed by Robert Jr. in 1966 and Carolyn in 1969. 

After Robert’s one-year tour in Vietnam, the family settled in Port Angeles, Washington, where Robert started his medical practice and the couple raised their children.

Throughout her four decades on the Olympic Peninsula, Janice was an active member of her church and community. Her love for music, particularly choral, inspired her to direct her church choir for many years. She was an active member of P.E.O. supporting women’s education, and a steadfast advocate for children everywhere.

In 2013, Janice and Robert moved to Lynden, Washington, to live near their daughter Carolyn, where she enjoyed many of her Grandsons’ sporting events.

Janice will be remembered as a loving wife, a kind and caring mother, and the best “Nana” to her 8 grandchildren. She had a joyful spirit and was a compassionate soul who treated everyone with love and kindness.

Janice is survived by her husband, Robert Crist, her three children Jennifer (Russ), Bob (Meryam), and Carolyn (Michael), eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched.

A service in her memory will be held on Saturday, July 22, 2023 at The First Presbyterian Church of Port Townsend at 11 a.m.