Janice M. Vázquez, 84, passed peacefully in the early hours of Sept. 13 surrounded by loved ones. Jan was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and great-aunt who was so proud of her family.

Born in Detroit in 1939 to loving parents Helen and Truman Valiquette, Jan met the eventual love of her life Ed Vázquez at Holy Redeemer High School. Ed worked at a local butcher shop, and Jan finally got permission to date him when her mom started bringing home better cuts of meat. (Ed was no dummy.) Ed and Jan married in 1962 at Holy Redeemer and from then on they were constant companions. Their union lasted 61 wonderful years, including a lavish golden anniversary celebration in 2012 attended by a great number of family and friends. They did everything together and especially loved to travel, dine out and watch "Golden Girls" and Hallmark Channel movies.

Jan was proud to have graduated from Wayne State University and used her degree to work as a medical technician at the Detroit Cancer Institute as well as private labs.

After settling in Dearborn Heights, Jan and Ed raised their son, Ed. Wanting another child, they opened their hearts and home and had their daughter, Annette. No matter what activities Eddie or Annette took part in, soccer or basketball or Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, Jan and Ed were sure to be around.

The four of them would spend two weeks every summer at Houghton Lake and loved it so much that they eventually purchased their own cottage on the lake. Houghton Lake wound up a focal point in her life — the perfect place to host relatives and friends, fish, swim, play games, color in coloring books and work on her quilts. Most of all, she loved sitting on the docked pontoon boat to read or watch the sun set.

Once their kids were grown, Jan and Ed moved to Walled Lake but continued to spend much of their time in Houghton Lake.

Jan was a positive force on everyone she knew and set an example in her caring and compassion. She remembered to send cards on every birthday and holiday, always adding stickers to the envelope.

She considered herself fortunate to go through multiple waves of grandmotherhood, first with Ed's three sons, then Annette's two daughters who were themselves eight years apart.

Having married an Army man, Jan took great pride in the military service of Eddie and his sons E.J. and Mike. And she was ecstatic to meet a great-grandchild when their brother Chris welcomed a daughter, Charlotte Rose.

Then Jan had the pleasure of spending time with two granddaughters, her soulmate Chase and little sister Mari. Chase became a summer fixture at the lake, coloring and laughing side by side with her grandma late into the night. Mari and Jan would fish together, but Mari mainly loved eating the caught ones after Jan fried them up.

Jan loved quilting with her friend "Ohio Jan" (she was "Michigan Jan" and together they were "MJ and OJ"), tending to her garden (especially her yellow flowers), lighthouses, sculptures of angels, rolling her eyes at Ed's Panama stories, perusing Walmart in Houghton Lake, eating "boo corn" and Taco Bell, taking money from Ed at dominos, "Dancing with the Stars" (she even traveled to Los Angeles to see a taping in person), staying up till the wee hours watching TV and chatting with her kids and grandkids. She helped with makeup for the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Recently, she became known as "Uncle Jan," a name bestowed by her great-nephew Kaysen Schnapp, who was also fond of ordering for her at restaurants.

As Chase wrote of Jan, "She knew how to laugh, and most importantly, she knew how to love. Because of her, I now know what true love and joy are. She fought so many of life's toughest battles, but did so with a big smile on her face."

Janice Mary Vazquez is survived by her husband Ed Vázquez; son Ed Vázquez (Ramona); daughter Annette Vázquez (partner Ed Price); grandsons E.J. Vázquez (Rachel), Michael Vázquez and Chris Vázquez (Allie); granddaughters Chase Klavon and Mari Rose Vázquez-Price; great-granddaughter Charlotte Rose Vázquez; sister Joan Hamilton (Greg); nephew Scott Hamilton (Milissa); and niece Dolores Guerra-Schnapp (Matt). She was predeceased by her sister-in-law Rosemary Guerra.

Visitation will be Sunday Sept.17th from 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the Dearborn location of the Howe-Peterson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 22546 Michigan Ave. Dearborn, 48124. Rosary Sunday 4:00 p.m.  Janice's funeral mass will be Monday Sept.18th at 11:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Dearborn, 22430 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48124.  Gathering at church from 10:30 a.m.