Obituary of Janet Rae Kies

Janet Rae Kies, mother, friend, emotional supporter, great listener, horse show assistant, and self-described “good person” left this world on April 21, 2021.

She was at peace, pain free, surrounded by her loving family, and at home when she passed.  This was her greatest wish, to die at home.

Janet resided for the past 11 months on top of the Palmer Divide in Castle Rock, Colorado where she loved to gaze at the mountain views, peaceful falling snow, deer, rabbits, and sunflowers.  Janet loved to stare at the huge Colorado sky and marvel at all of the different cloud formations.  Birdwatching was one of her favorite pastimes in her final months.  She loved the street fairs in Castle Rock – before the pandemic.  Loved to go to the pumpkin patches and ride around looking at all the Christmas lights. Of course her dogs were also a huge part of her life and she cherished them.  Reading was her personal passion, and it would be hard for anyone to find a book she did not read!

Memorial service, visitation, cremation, and internment will be private and for the family only.

Janet was born in West Allis, WI on 12-17-36 to Frances and Earl Swick, but lived the majority of her life in Virginia before moving to Castle Rock in May of 2020.

My absolutely beautiful mother was the strongest person I have ever met.  She survived the Great Depression, World War II, The Great Recession, breast cancer resulting in a double mastectomy, uterine cancer resulting in a full hysterectomy, gall bladder cancer, and worst of all decades of severe pain from Psoriatic Arthritis that attacked her joints and made her immobile at times. The treatment, methotrexate, was almost worse than the disease as the medicine compromised her liver and kidneys to the point where she could not longer take it and had to resort in her final years to controlling the pain and swelling in her joints with prednisone.  Almost NEVER complained of pain but surely it was severe.  Janet also survived the Coronavirus Pandemic and had received both of her vaccinations.

She worked multiple jobs at once through most of her adult life to single handedly support 6 children to make sure none of us went without.  Our childhood was full of Mom’s love, riding horses, and going on vacation to visit relatives.  Janet gave up a piano scholarship at a major college to be able to stay home with her children.

Most of her life she worked as a medical transcriptionist at night and for as and assistant to a neurosurgeon in the daytime.

Janet always continued her education and was very proud of her CMA in Neurology.  After her surgeon retired, Janet thankfully joined her daughters company Crystal Ice Co., Inc. in Richmond, VA as an office administrator and was absolutely instrumental in the success of the Corporation.

As a very small child I remember Mom taking us all crabbing in Yorktown, taught us all to ride horses which we still enjoy today, her huge annual Christmas Eve Parties were cherished family gatherings that took her many months of careful planning to pull off.  Janet was always so thoughtful with the gifts she picked out for her own children and her grandchildren.  She always made each of our favorite cookies and meals for her parties.

Janet went on several wonderful trips during her lifetime including one to Hawaii and two cross-country US road trips with her granddaughter Rachael and her son-in-law Jeff.  But mostly and above all, Janet cherished visits from her family with all of the love in the cosmos.

Survived by 5 children:  Lynda Rae Kies (divorced), Teresa Bruffey Hall (husband Jeff Hall), Carolyn Paige Melton (husband David Simmons), David Michael Kies (wife Donna Kies), and Elizabeth Ann Beadles(husband Alan Beadles).

Survived by 12 grandchildren: Alexander Clark, Cristopher Clark, Ashley Kegan Guan, Rachael Bruffey, Brian Bruffey, Chris Melton, Sarah Melton, Brandon Kanakis-Pennell, Jason Kies, Taylor Kies, Frances Kies Colvin, and Alexandra Kies Sargent.

Survived by 13 great-grandchildren:  Rhia Melton, Anthony Fleming, Reese Fleming, Raelyn Colvin, Wyatt Colvin, Kade Sargent, Weston Kies, Helena Kanakis-Pennell, Marie Kanakis-Pennell, Meredith Rae Clark, Olivia Clark, Madison Clark, and Aerowyn Guan.

Proceeded in death by her mother Frances Swick, stepfather Anthony Carlo, brother Monte Swick and her beloved youngest son, Stephen Andrew Kies.

Please remember Jan’s love for dogs by making a contribution in her name to her favorite canine rescue:    https://www.carerva.com/  

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