Janet Daines Mccowin

Janet Daines McCowin died December 21, 2018 in her home in Sea Cliff, San Francisco, California at the age of 90. She was born December 1, 1928, in Logan, Utah. Janet was the 5th of 11 children born to Newel George Daines and Verna Rainey Daines. She was named after her grandmothers Janet and (Chloe) Viola.

Her four older and 6 younger brothers and sisters filled her life as did the family work of home, father’s law office and farm. She attended Utah State University and was honored as “Personality” and Harvest Queen and was a member of Spurs a service organization.

After graduating in 1949 she moved to Washington D.C. where her then-husband attended medical school. In addition to teaching, Janet’s most memorable positions were as fill-in secretary to J. Willard Marriott a childhood friend of her father and serving as the State Department Control Officer’s Communication Branch during the Truman Administration including the firing of General Douglas MacArthur.

Her two children Kathleen and Marcia were born in Washington prior to the move to Los Angeles, California where her third child Joseph was born. Janet continued her education at Claremont College and then in the San Francisco Bay Area completing her University of California at Berkeley Doctorate in Education. She was also instrumental in instituting Head Start and Child Study testing program at UC Berkeley.

She was a professor at California State University East Bay from 1969 to her retirement in 1994. She was director of their Child Study Center and served on many University and State committees. She continued to work as Professor Emeritus at that institution,

Her talent for seeking, identifying, buying and renovating properties was unparalleled from the Dunleer Place Los Angeles, Skyline Boulevard Oakland, to her present Sea Cliff Victorian in San Francisco. These homes were always beautiful and inviting to the many she hosted at her “Hotel at the top of California Street,” whether it was the 10 siblings and their numerous offspring or the Irish-European house traders or the Asian and South American Interplast Doctors and their staffs.

On December first, Marcia arranged Janet's 90th birthday celebration with family, friends, neighbors and food. A violinist, soprano, alto, and pianist on her 1880 grand piano, performed "A Song of a Mother's Love" written for Janet's 80th birthday. Everyone joined the "Sound of Music" selections that followed.

She was a devoted, loving and encouraging Mother and Grandmother. The family expresses special thanks to Bernz Bayabo and Jennie Umali for the care they provided allowing her to remain in the home she loved.

Her collaborative community projects have had impact that will outlive her.

She was a devoted and loving Mother who sacrificed much for her children and continued to extend that to her grandchildren and others. She will be missed.

She is preceded in death by her siblings: Beulah Petersen, Newel Daines II, Patricia Chadwick, Robert Daines, and Paul Daines. She is survived by her children Kathleen McCowin, San Francisco, Ca. Marcia McCowin, San Francisco, Ca. Joseph Aaron McCowin II, Camino, Ca.. She is survived by her siblings: Helen Harvath, David, Jonathan, Samuel and Stephen Daines.

Funeral services are under the direction of Allen-Hall Mortuary and will be Saturday, Jan.12, at the Logan Fifth Ward Chapel, 502 E. 300 North, at 11 a.m. Visiting at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., prior to the funeral. Interment will be at the Logan City Cemetery.