Janet Harder died peacefully at her home on January 5 after a yearlong fight against cancer. She was born and grew up in New Orleans Louisiana. Janet resided in Raleigh with her husband and family for the past 17 years. For a significant part of the first half of her life, she was a star in every sense of the word. She performed in college at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette Louisiana, in New Orleans with Tulane Summer Lyric Theater and elsewhere while in graduate school at Tulane University. She performed roles such as Guinevere in Camelot, Julie Jordan in Carousel, Nellie in South Pacific and numerous others. She sang with notables such as Gordon McRae, Marc Embree, Anthony Laciura, and others who had their own distinguished careers. Her beautiful lyric soprano voice was only matched by her inner spiritual beauty.
During the 2nd half of her life, while still fully involved in music in church choirs and at other special occasions, she starred again as a wonderful mother, wife and teacher. She was a leader in teaching children’s Sunday school and youth groups at Ridge Road Baptist Church in Raleigh and at other churches in Mississippi and Louisiana. She loved children—all children, whether she found them at the Raleigh Rescue Mission, at church, in her own family or elsewhere.
Above all else, Janet loved family—her children, grandchildren and all relatives—even those remotely called a relative. They all became her love and her personal concern. Schedule a family reunion or other family get-together and you could count on Janet to be there. And she would be the happiest person there. She loved family! She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, companion and friend. Her genuineness, kindness, enthusiasm and the spirit of her heart were a wonder to all who knew her. And if you knew her, you loved her.
She is with the Lord now. We will miss her terribly in this world, but look forward to seeing her again in heaven.
Janet is predeceased by her mother Grace Chapman Mallory and her father James Guy Mallory.
She is survived by her three sisters and their families: Nancy Archer of Liberty Texas, Jamie van Benthuysen of New Orleans, and Susan Shaw of Mandeville Louisiana. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Glenn; their son, Dan, his wife Amanda and their two daughters Hayden and Aubrey; their daughter Elizabeth; and their daughter Katherine Smith, her husband Andy and their son Benjamin.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to Ridge Road Baptist Church, 2011 Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607.
A funeral service will be held at Ridge Road Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, with visitation preceding the service at 12:30 p.m.. Family members are invited to attend the burial at Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh immediately following the service
Arrangements by Brown Wynne Funeral Home, St. Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC. www.BrownWynne.com
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