Cut Off woman had rich love for those she encountered

Cut Off native Janice Arceneaux never was one to judge a book by its cover.

She was one of those rare people who just had that unique way of loving things for what was on the inside – the things that she thought mattered most.

A fun-loving Cajun woman, Janice passed away on May 14 after a lengthy fight with Alzheimer’s.

She was 68.

Those closest to the woman remember her for the love she showed others – the ability to accept all people for the kindness in their hearts.

Family members remember her passionate personality and the warmth she showed to everyone she’d met.

She is survived by her daughter Wendy Baragona, mother Stella Leonard, three grandchildren, two siblings and three nephews.

“She was always outgoing,” Wendy said. “Everyone loved her. She didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone.”

“She loved to talk to people,” her nephew Brad Gisclair added. “She’d often take us on family shopping trips in Houma, and she’d always run into so many people she knew in the community. She loved catching up with them when she’d see them. She was always so encouraging to us in the family.”

For Janice, tending to loved ones was a huge part of the woman she was.

A single mother with one child, Janice always worked hard to provide for her own.

She worked as a secretary at South Lafourche Bank in Larose and also spent more than a decade at Larose-Cut Off Middle School in the 1980s and 1990s – a job she enjoyed because she loved to be around children.

“She worked hard as a school secretary,” grandson Jordy Gaspard said. “She supported both my mother and herself, while giving my mother the opportunity to enjoy herself through travel and shopping on the weekends.”

When away from the job, Janice had a passion for learning – a love she shared with those within her family.

Janice attended Nicholls for two years in the 1960s – taking a transportation bus to and from Thibodaux every day to soak in as much knowledge as she could.

When babysitting nephews or grandchildren, she’d share her wisdom with her loved ones, often turning them into pupils for the day.

Brad said his aunt collected books, dating back to her time in college. It wasn’t uncommon at all for Janice to take one off her shelves and read it to anyone who was interested.

The passion for literature inspired Brad personally. He’s now a grade school teacher in Colorado.

He said his aunt would often buy him new titles as gifts – for birthdays, Christmas or sometimes, just out of love. Janice would write him a note on the inside cover of each. The note always ended with the same two-word command: “Keep reading!”

“She loved learning new things and she loved stories,” Brad said. “She always read to me. She valued books as prized possessions.”

“She would always be able to be found reading,” Jordy added. “I will remember my MawMaw as a woman who valued intelligence and family.”

But for as much as Janice loved to read, she didn’t get the opportunity to do much of it in the final stages of her life.

When Janice reached her middle age years, she started to lose track of her thoughts – a tendency which accelerated rapidly and caused her to seek medical attention.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease at a young age – a puzzling case to doctors because the ailment doesn’t usually attack people until they become elderly.

Janice’s disease accelerated quickly, which first forced her out of the workplace. It then got even worse and caused her to live the final days of her life in a nursing home.

But through the adversity, family members said they learned exactly how strong the woman was and how powerful her love for life had become.

Family members would visit Janice, and she was always welcoming and loving. Even when things were looking down, she always had a way of keeping folks on an upward keel.

“I remember her always smiling and laughing,” Brad said. “Even though she had a rough life, she was one of the most optimistic people I know. She was always looking at the bright side of things.”

Wendy agrees, adding that it’s hard to accept that Janice didn’t get to see her two younger grandchildren grow up. But she added that her spirit is still alive in family members who learned from her the true meaning of a righteous life.

“We remember her as a loving grandma,” Wendy said. “She was also a loving and devoted mother, daughter and sister.” •

Janice Arceneaux