Janis Croft

Loving and devoted wife, mother to 8 children, grandmother to 30, and great-grandmother to 11, Janis Croft passed away on January 11, 2021 of health-related issues due to Alzheimer’s.

Born January 12, 1948 in Nottingham, England, she was the eldest of Elder Derek A. and Muriel Mason Cuthbert’s ten children. As a young woman, she spread her wings and courageously landed in America, paving the way for many of her siblings to follow. She attended BYU before marrying her sweetheart Vaughn Cullimore Croft in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on October 8, 1965. She served within several capacities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spending many years in the Primary. She served as a Church Welfare Service missionary with her husband, continuing that service after his sudden passing in 2006 during their mission. Her family was everything to her and she will be missed greatly. Grandchildren remember fun cousin campouts at her house and how Grandma made them feel special. Her family and many others will continue to cherish the letters she wrote to missionaries and the unique greeting cards she made for special events, often created during late-night hours. She used her vast talents including poetry, writing, art, painting, and sewing to bless the lives of others, giving away quilts, blankets, clothes, hats, and toys that she made. She had an amazing ability to accomplish great things while raising a large family, serving faithfully in her church callings, hosting foreign exchange students, and running a successful and busy RV park business in Washington with her husband. Many of their customers were amazed by Janis’ skill to recognize their voices on the phone and remember their names and favorite camping sites as they made reservations throughout the years. While Janis maintained some of her accent and her British sense of duty, she was proud to be a US citizen, exercising her right to vote and serving as a poll worker. Her separation from Vaughn at his passing was easier to bear through her widowed years because of her firm testimony that they would be reunited again. Her family and those who knew her can build on the foundation she gave through her example of living a faith-filled life with frugality and service to others. She once wrote, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is very important in our family. It is a way of life for us.”  Those around her could clearly see how she lived this way of life and feel her love for the Savior.

She was preceded in death by her husband Vaughn, daughter Heather, her parents, and her sister Sheila. She is survived by seven of her children: Darren (BihShya), Myra (Howard) Smith, Tina (Joe) Barnes, Adrian (Rayetta), Julia (Aaron) Lance, Nathan (Brita), Mason (Tanya); and siblings Maureen (Ron) Ludlow,  brother-in-law Jim Young, David (Wendy) Cuthbert, Rosalind (Rob) Jamieson, Jonathan Cuthbert, Hazel Dunsmore, Andrew (Nicole) Cuthbert, Paul (Silvia) Cuthbert, Jenn (Julie) Mason.

The family is especially thankful to Janis’ daughter Myra and the Smith family, who provided tireless, loving, and comfortable care to Janis, allowing her to remain at home during her illness. The family also appreciates the support of the hospice nurses that worked to make sure the family understood the situation and helped Janis to receive the care she needed.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 16 at 11:00 AM at the Union Fort 5th Ward Chapel, 6670 S 500 E, Midvale, Utah. Due to Covid19 we ask that in-person attendance be limited to immediate family only. All others please join us in this online Zoom meeting. Online condolences can be made to the family at https://www.cannonmortuary.com.