Janet Percival

Janet Mae (Perry) Percival, age 66, with her sweetheart Virgil at her side returned to the arms of her Heavenly Father when heaven opened its doors in their home in Payson, Utah in the early morning of Monday, August 19, 2024. (The morning after their 46th wedding anniversary.) She was born on October 16, 1957, in Salt Lake City, Utah to her loving parents Jack Harold and Shirley Mae Perry.

Janet, along with her four siblings grew up in South Salt Lake. Some would consider her childhood home on Blair Street a miniature farm. She always loved animals. Growing up she had everything from dogs, like her favorite Patchy, to a goat she named Billy. She attended several schools growing up as her dad wanted to make sure she was always attending the best school available to her but Janet would rather be riding her bike, fishing at the local creek, or hanging out with her friends. As she entered her teenage years she worked at Classic Skating where she hung out with her sister and from what we hear, she was pretty good on skates! When it came time to drive she asked her dad for a motorcycle. He said, “If you can pick it up by yourself it's yours!” That motorcycle is still in the family with her son Shane, who just happens to be a biker himself. She graduated from Granite High School in 1976. After dating a few friends, Janet met the love of her life working at McDonald’s.

Janet and Virgil were married on August 18, 1978. Shortly after, they started a family and had four children: Jamie, Shane, and their twins Torrey and Corey. Things weren’t always easy raising a family but if you ask us kids, we would say we had a pretty good childhood and we had the hardest working parents ever. They made sure we never went without. Some of our greatest memories were camping in the Uintas. Mom loved to fish at Trial Lake. She called it Gods country, and would tell us stories of camping there when she was just a girl. Tales of the time her brother got lost in a sudden snow storm, and the time her mom broke her ankle while hiking and while they waited for her dad to get help, they swear they were being watched by Bigfoot. Janet’s favorite month was October. Not only was it her birth month but she loved Halloween. Our home was always decorated! She made all of our holidays magical. She never stopped believing in Santa.

Nothing made Janet more proud than watching each of her children grow up and create their own families. She loved and adored each and every one of her 11 grandchildren. She always said how much it meant to her that our families stayed close and made an effort to gather often. After retiring from OC Tanner where she’d worked for 20+ years, Janet and Virgil decided to move away from her childhood home in search of new adventures in their retirement years. What an adventure it was! They moved to Payson, Utah where they built a new home. She loved to spend her time gardening and thrifting. She was always excited to find a good deal! She loved when she had the opportunity to travel with her kids. She loved the TV show Outlander and couldn’t wait for season 8 to come out.

Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. We will miss her laugh, her sense of humor, and her appreciation of the simple things in life. She will be forever loved, missed, and never forgotten. We are so grateful for the knowledge that families are eternal and look forward to the day we are all reunited.

Janet is survived by her loving husband Virgil William Percival, daughter Jamie Lynn Betker (Michael), sons: Shane William Percival (Meagon), Torrey Lenard Percival (Amber), Corey Harold Percival (Niki), grandchildren: Austin, Dylan, Peyton, Devon, Aubree, Carson, Kelsey, Brady, Issac, and Kali. In addition to her immediate family she is survived by her siblings: Danny Perry, Stan Perry, Shirleen White, and Quinn Perry.

She is preceded in death by her parents Jack and Shirley Perry, and her granddaughter ZoeJane Maelynn Betker. We find comfort in knowing their reunion was, with no doubt, a glorious one.

In honor of Janet a viewing/gathering will be held on Thursday August 29, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Memorial Services will begin at 1:00 p.m. Location is the Hunter West Stake Center, at 2811 South 6400 West in West Valley City, Utah. The procession will be followed by a motorcycle escort for Janet to Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park at 3401 S. Highland Dr. in Salt Lake City, Utah for a graveside service.