Janet Lynne (LeDonne) Cooley's Obituary
On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, Janet Cooley passed away in her home surrounded by her family. Janet will be forever remembered by her husband of nearly 34 years, Warren, their children, Lisa (Alex) Lubchansky, Bryan, their grandson Emerson, her parents Lawrence and Joanne LeDonne, and by her sisters Karen (Brad) Dranko and Sherry (Donald) Meucci. Janet was loved by her nieces, nephews, extended family, dear friends, and students.
Janet met Warren in 1976 in high school and after a full summer of pursuit, she finally gave in when her mother told her “it’s not like you have to marry him”. They attended IUP together where Janet majored in Art Education. After graduation, Janet followed Warren to California where they became engaged shortly thereafter. Janet adored her children.
As a dedicated elementary art teacher in the Baldwin Whitehall School District for the last 25 years, she was a master of fostering imagination and creativity. She loved her students and showcased their work with pride. Her other interests included gardening, bird watching, jewelry, drawing, crafting, thrifting, and traveling.
Janet’s determination and support from her family and friends enabled her to live a life of strength during her battle with cancer over the last 20 months. During this time, she proclaimed that she became grand and fell in love again when her grandson was born on Mother’s Day in 2018. She also traveled all over; the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion National parks, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Bahamas, St. Thomas, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk, Connecticut, Disney World, and others. Janet was loved by many and will be forever remembered.
Family and friends will be received on Friday from 2 to 4 pm & 6 to 9 pm at the Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Rd, Pittsburgh. A Blessing Service will be held on Saturday at 10 am in the funeral home's chapel. In lieu of flowers, please donate a book to a library of your choice in honor of Janet or to Phipp’s Conservatory. Online condolences may be left at www.jeffersonmemorial.biz.
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