Janice White Tenney

1933 – 2022

Janice White Tenney passed away in Lindon, Utah on Thursday, November 24, 2022.  Janice was born at home in Logan, Utah on September 25, 1933, to Leone Dahle White and Arthur Floyd White.  Her father moved the family to San Diego prior to WWII for work opportunities.  Janice was a child of the Great Depression and WWII.  Her earliest memories of Christmas morning were receiving an orange and a homemade doll from Santa.

Janice was the oldest of three siblings.  She attended San Diego City schools and graduated Female Valedictorian from Hoover High School in 1951.  In her youth, Janice took tap dance and piano lessons and learned from her mother the art and skill of sewing and how to make do with what you had.  She learned how things work and how to fix everything from her blacksmith and engineer father.

Janice attended San Diego State University her freshman year and then transferred to Brigham Young University where she graduated in 1955 with a BA degree in elementary education.  After graduating from BYU, Janice taught elementary school for a few years.  

Janice married Paul A. Tenney of San Diego in the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple on July 22, 1955.  After children came to their home, Janice stayed home for the next 30 years to raise her family before returning to the classroom.   Her children express tremendous gratitude for the sacrifice Janice made to be with them and teach them full-time. Memories are filled with days at the beach together, delicious cookies and bread, and meals together every day.

Janice’s parenting skills were second to none.  She used old-fashioned pioneer methods of hard work, and every child had chores and responsibilities to fulfill in the home and yard.  She taught her children that common sense was an important quality and was second only to critical thinking and if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  When you made mistakes in life you needed to accept responsibility and face your mistakes and correct them.  Janice spent time helping sons in Boy Scouts, earning 3 Eagle Awards.  She also helped and supported her daughters in Girl Scouting.  

Janice loved teaching kindergarten and the younger grades.  At the time she returned to teaching, she returned to school herself and earned her MA Degree in education with an emphasis in teaching reading.  She enjoyed this time and found great satisfaction at the return to her career.  

Janice and Paul lived in San Diego, CA; Gladstone, OR; Pleasanton, CA; Apple Valley, CA; and Alpine, UT.  In Pleasanton, CA, Janice served with a group of women from her community in the Santa Rita County Jail teaching life skills and crafts to the female inmates.  She has been a master teacher her whole life.  Janice loved to play the piano and taught many young people how to play.  Several of her students went on to become highly accomplished.  

Janice was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served in many positions.  Janice and Paul served together for many years in the temple.  She loved this service. There was never any question that Janice loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and loved the Lord and kept her covenants.  During her retirement, Janice loved writing the histories of her ancestors. 

Janice lived a full life of grace, dignity, and doing the right thing for the right reason.  She was one who really did make the world a better place and made people feel their self-worth and to dream the impossible dream.  She can now fly with the angels and sew anything she wants on any Bernina machine up there!

Janice is preceded in death by her husband, Paul Arthur Tenney, sister Sharon, and sister-in-law Judy McQuillan White.  She is survived by her brother Gerald D White, children M.A. Tenney (Terrie); Julia Lewis (Robert); Norah Hunter (Terry); Matthew Tenney (Dana); Thomas Tenney (Haylee); 27 grandchildren and 43 great grandchildren.

Special thanks to Inspiration Hospice & Home Health, mom’s hospice nurses Deana Rasmussen and Randi Mitchell, and all others at Spring Gardens Senior Living in Lindon who helped make her end of life comfortable.

Viewing and Memorial Services will be held on Friday, December 2, 2022 at the Anderson & Sons Lone Peak Chapel, 6141 West 11000 North, Highland, Utah 84003.

Viewing at 10:00.   Funeral to follow at the same location at 11:00.

Website: www.andersonmortuary.com

If you're unable to attend the service in person, please join the Tenney family in honoring Janice through the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81137806646

Interment at Highland City Cemetery