Janice Millward

Janice Mildred Wann Millward, 78, of Hyde Park, Utah, passed away on Friday, December 20, 2024. Janice was born on May 16, 1946, and adopted shortly after birth by Erwin L. Wann and Virginia Louise Garrity.

Janice grew up in Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona, enjoying life on the family farm surrounded by her beloved cousins in her early years. Sadly she lost both her parents at a young age—her mother died when she was nine, and her father when she was fourteen. She lived with her Aunt Mildred, who became a second mother to her, in her teen years.

She graduated from Phoenix Union High School in 1964. She went on to attend Arizona State University and later worked for several years at Motorola. This is where she met her future husband, George. Janice and George were married on March 31, 1973, in Phoenix. Janice became the stepmother of George’s daughter, Michelle. Their daughter Monica was born in 1974, and Nicole was born in 1977. George’s career took the family from Arizona, to Oklahoma and Texas and back to Arizona, and later to Utah. They eventually retired to George’s family’s farm in Idaho, where they lived until George passed away in 2019.

Janice worked at a variety of jobs over the years, but her favorite occupation was homemaking. She was a skilled seamstress who made countless outfits for her daughters and quilts for her children and grandchildren. She taught herself upholstery and restored many pieces of furniture over the years. But she was most known, both in her family and by everyone who knew her, for her amazing cooking and baking skills. Janice learned to make Mexican cuisine while growing up in Arizona, and she was known by neighbors far and wide for her Christmas Eve tamales and homemade tortillas. Whether it was Mexican food, barbecue brisket, sourdough bread, sugar cookies, or apricot jam, Janice made it better than anyone else you knew.

She was also an example of community service. She volunteered regularly in her children’s schools and served in leadership roles in her church. She especially enjoyed teaching homemaking classes to the women’s group. She also shared her cooking skills while participating in community fundraisers over the years.

Janice was also a lot of fun! She loved to laugh and joke with her family. Her home was always a gathering place for family and friends, a place where you’d always get a bite to eat. And after a glass or two of “pink wine” with her best friend Judy, you might even be lucky enough to hear a few stories about their crazy adventures growing up together. She loved music and dancing—her only regret about marrying George is that he wasn’t a dancer!

Late in her life Janice was delighted to finally solve the mystery of who her birth parents were. She met her half-siblings Duane and Dana and enjoyed getting to know them better, traveling to see them and also hosting them at her home.

Most of all, Janice will be remembered for her strength of character. She always stood up for those who needed protection and was a great example of bravery. She felt strongly about speaking up in the face of injustice, often at personal cost to herself. While she might have ruffled a few feathers occasionally with her outspokenness, everyone respected her more for it. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and she spent her life caring for her family. She will forever be missed.

Janice is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, George O. Millward, Jr. She is survived by her siblings Duane and Dana, her daughters Monica (Jacob) and Nicole (Joss), stepdaughter Michelle (Jeff), granddaughter Alexis (Bracc), grandsons Jared, Kekoa, Isaac, Kamaka, and Kai, and great-grandsons Jett and Zane.

A Celebration of Life event will be held at a later date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Janice’s name to CAPSA (www.capsa.org). 

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at www.allenmortuaries.com.