Janice Ollye Pettee was born May 26, 1938, in Port Huron, Mich., to Clifford and Fayetta Bartley Pettee. She died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2019, at Marwood Nursing and Rehab Center, Port Huron, MI. Janice had a long and interesting career in politics, nursing and volunteer work.
She began her interest in politics at 16 when she volunteered with the Young Democrats. She worked in the press office of Gov. James Blanchard, and in Washington, D.C., on the staff of U.S. Sen. Patrick McNamara and U.S. Rep. James G. O'Hara. While there, she attended the Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech. She was a passionate supporter of civil rights. After her time in Washington, Janice returned to Port Huron to attend nursing school. She worked as a nurse at Port Huron Hospital and at the Michigan Forensic Hospital. She enjoyed travel, including trips to Ireland and Hawaii. She was an active member of Port Huron First United Methodist Church, serving on many church committees. She was a cancer survivor and volunteered with the American Cancer Society.
Janice and her younger brother, Chuck, shared a love of history and politics. Their discussions when they spent time together were stimulating and sometimes heated. They also shared a love of Port Huron and the St. Clair River, spending much time watching the big boats at every opportunity.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Janice’s name may be made to Marwood Nursing and Rehab Center or to the First United Methodist Church in Port Huron.
The ashes of Janice Pettee and her brother, Charles A. Pettee, will be interred beside their parents, Clifford and Fayette Bartley Pettee, at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 3, 2020 in Sunset Memorial Gardens, 3825 Keewahdin Road, Fort Gratiot. Graveside services will be conducted by the Rev. William R. Wright.
Charles Alton Pettee was born Jan. 10, 1944, in Port Huron, Mich., to Clifford and Fayetta Bartley Pettee. He died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, at Kettering Medical Center.
Chuck was a graduate of Michigan State University and active in the MSU Alumni Association.
He worked as a journalist at newspapers in Utica, MI, Fort Wayne, IN, and the Dayton Daily News, where he retired after 22 years of service.
His passions included golf, travel, fantasy baseball, all things Spartan, the Civil War, the Miami Valley Native American Flute Circle and SunWatch Indian Village Archeological Park where he was a site interpreter and a member of the Associates Board. He served on the board of The Episcopal Community Services Foundation.
At the time of his death in 2014 he was survived by his wife of 35 years, Ann; his sister, the late Janice O. Pettee of Port Huron, MI; sister-in law, Lynn (David) Brown of Springfield, MO; brother-in-law, the late Howard (Mary Jo) Berry of Cincinnati; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Chuck’s name may be made to SunWatch Indian Village, 2301 W. River Road, Dayton, OH 45418 or to First United Methodist Church in Port Huron.
The service will be recorded by Pollock-Randall Funeral Home and may be viewed on Janice Pettee’s obituary page on the funeral home website at pollockrandall.com
