Janice Kathleen D'Amato

Janice Kathleen (Jensen) D’Amato, aged 83, passed away in the arms of her husband, Robert, and youngest daughter, Toni, in Spokane, WA on July 1^st, 2025.

Janice, Jan, or Janny as she was adoringly called by many, was born January 6, 1942, to Ross and Pat Jensen in Spokane, WA. She lived a life full of adventure. She embraced the opportunity to pack up her first 4 children, all under the age of 5, to spend her early adult years raising them living in Hong Kong, Thailand, Germany, and Massachusetts. Jan moved back to Washington state in 1982 where she and her husband, Robert, subsequently raised their 2 younger children.

Jan was a beacon of light; she lived and loved with her heart on her sleeve. She was the best wife, mom, grandma, sister, aunt and surrogate parent to anyone who needed her. She never focused on the negative in a situation or in a person, but rather she was able to lift the veils back and find all the shimmers of light, finding the good in everyone, no matter who they were or where they were from.

It was common to see a happy reflective tear or two in Jan’s eyes; she loved life, and she loved her husband and family deeply. Any time she spoke of her memories, of her children’s or grandchildren’s accomplishments, she was brought to tears, which meant the happy tears were commonplace as her family was her favorite topic of conversation. The family is going to miss the constant banter between Jan and Robert, husband and wife, together 53 years, who knew just which buttons to push on each other at the exact right moments to get the precise reaction they each wanted. The love they exuded is the love everyone deserves. Jan spoke fondly of people she barely knew and told heart felt stories of her colleagues and customers to her family at home. The family is going to miss hearing about people they will never meet or know but

knew were important to her. 

We’ll miss her encouraging us to eat ten times more than we possibly could, how she would reprimand her dogs and then secretly give them treats, or blending our names together as she called us, “Kim, Kit, Kelli, Bob, Nic, Toni, Putzel, oh - whoever you are.” We will miss her accidentally calling us in her pocket and not realizing we heard her entire conversation with her friends and coworkers. She was the best travel partner, always up for an adventure anywhere, any time. 

Janny’s laugh was contagious, radiating pure kindness.  Her joy was endless and unconditional to anyone whose presence she graced.

Jan may have been taken suddenly and too soon; however, her words of wisdom will live on in everyone she touched. She lived and loved in a way we should all strive to. Heaven has gained one of the best angels it will ever have.

Jan is preceded in death by her parents: Ross and Pat Jensen, brother: Bob Jensen and son: Robert (Elizabeth) Connelly. She precedes her husband: Robert D’Amato, sister: Marion Peterson, children: Kimberlee Alemian, Kathryn (Lawrence) Copley, Kelli (Paul) Connelly Daigle, Nicholas (Kristi) and Toni D’Amato; and grandchildren: Garrison, Dylan, and Brendan Copley, Caitlin and Gillian Connelly, Paxton and Tika Roper, Aidan D’Amato, Sienna D’Amato – Larson, and Theodore D’Amato, and many nieces and nephews.

Psalm 23:1-4 “The Lord is my shepherd…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Please RSPV to her memorial at the link below.

https://RememberJanice.rsvpify.com