Janet owned Heaton Studio & Gallery for 45 years. She was an incredible artist, who was fascinated by nature and wildlife. She traveled to many parts of Africa and India to photograph, paint and research her subjects. Heaton had stated many times, if she was given a choice of any subject in the world to paint or sculpt, it would be the African elephant, without hesitation.
She received countless awards, recognitions and lifetime achievements for her animal art and photography. She was a strong advocate for many wildlife organizations, including MacArthur Beach State Park located in south Florida.
When Janet wasn’t painting or in Africa, she enjoyed her family and friends on Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Bahamas. She never met a stranger, knew every answer on Jeopardy and wasn’t afraid to respectfully share her political views. Janet set both reachable and unreachable goals. If you knew her, you know she fulfilled every single one, and then some.
Janet is survived by her son Benjamin N. Heaton, her daughter Nancy H. Breedlove; grand-daughters Nikki (Jack) Cooney, Katie (Brent) Andrews, and Bonnie Breedlove; great grand-children Poppy Cooney, Charles Cooney and Porter Andrews; nieces Kathy (Mike) McNeal, Christy (Tom) Carlsen, and Carolyn (Gary) Pasterella. Janet is pre-deceased by her former husband Dr. W.C. Heaton, Jr., and brother Herbert Nichols.
A small private gathering will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, those choosing to make donations may contribute to African Wildlife Foundation (awf.org) or your favorite charity.
