Janet Durham Gard

Janet Grace Goode was born on June 12, 1925 in Menomonee Falls, Wis., which is as small as it sounds. She was the last of Wes and Katie Goode’s four children and the only girl. Her father doted on her, which is probably the only reason his sons tolerated her when she tagged along.

She attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. where she pledged Pi Beta Phi sorority. A year out of college she fell for a small-town Indiana boy who couldn’t believe he found a girl who could match him zinger for zinger. She married John Milton Durham in 1948 and proceeded to produce four stellar children. Pregnant with the last in 1958, she was in denial and told people it was a tumor.

Her John was an ambitious man and every promotion meant a move to a new city. When John announced the move to New Jersey, she couldn’t bear to leave her beloved Denver. She told prospective buyers all that was wrong with the family home. When he found out, John told her to knock it off. She retorted, “This is the last move!” They moved six more times before John passed away in 1989 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

After the children were grown, she became active in Pi Beta Phi, starting as a chapter advisor at University of Nevada – Reno and working her way up to Grand Vice President of Alumni at national. Her many trips to Gatlinburg netted her children a handsome stash of arts and crafts artwork.

Not wanting to waste an opinion, she served on the boards of her HOA and, then, Scottsdale Ranch where she made a difference. She and John were avid golfers and belonged to a golf club everywhere they lived. She gave up her membership in Desert Forest in Carefree in her 70s because the hooks and slices were so numerous she could no longer lie about her score in good conscience.

Love plucked her heart strings a second time when she met a small-town Nebraska boy in 2000. His sweet gentleness won her over and she wed Gerald Eugene Gard in 2002. They lived in wedded bliss in Fountain Hills. Gerald passed away in 2017 and Janet Durham Gard moved on to bigger and better things on May 30, 2019.

Janet’s four children (Deborah, Steven, Suzanne, John), three grandchildren (John, Clayton, Elizabeth), and four great grandchildren (Zoe, John, Greyson, Isla) will miss her terribly although the great grandchildren think she was Grandma Coco in the flesh. The world lost a one-of-a-kind. We hope heaven appreciates what they got. There will be a Celebration of Life at the Goode family reunion over the 4th of July holiday in Door County, Wisconsin.