Janet Susan Lawrence
(1946 - 2007)

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General Details

Name:	Mrs Janet Susan Lawrence
Maiden Name:	Capper
Gender:	Female
Age:	61 years old
Lived:	Tuesday, 2 July 1946 - Thursday, 15 November 2007

My Story

As told at Her final goodbye ceromony

Exceptional,determined and independant are three words that immediatly come to the mind of anyone that knew Janet Lawence.
Janet, a beautiful baby,was born 61 yrs ago in Birmingham to Sydney and Violet Capper. She was younger sister to Ron and Dennis and a couple of years later was older sister to Paul. Unfortunatly she contracted meningitis at 9 months, which left her totally deaf.If this was not challenging enough, two years later she developed polio which ment a 10 month stay in hospital and total paralysis to begin with.
From the early age she developed a teriffic spirit that enabled her to live life to the full. She never said i 'can"t. with a lot of hard work she began to get movement back into her limbs and with the help of a wheelchair,calipers and sticks she began to get around and eventually walk again. in fact she walked well enough to be chosen to present a bouquet of flowers to an MP who was visiting Broad Street.
She attended Camp Hill School for the deaf which later changed to Longwill School in Northfield and worked hard at her lessons. While at school she met a young boy called Christopher who was also deaf and suffering from cerebal palsy. She took him under his wing and protected him when she found out that some of the children were bullying him.
Christopher was later to become her husband of over 30 years.
Whilst at school she became a proficiant swimmer and often had to demonstrate techniques to the other children, swimming lenghths rather than the required widths.She also won a medal from the polio club for swimming.She made tremendous strides whilst at school learning to lipread and write.

On leaving school at 16 she took up a job as a dressmaker at Harry Monty's and where the supervisor in her section describerd her as "a quick and persevering girl". She worked well and the other girls she worked with enjoyed giving up her lunchbreak to help her to improve her lipreading.
Jant and Christopher had drifted apart after leaving school but met again at a birmingham club run by young deaf people. A romance began in earnest,and on May 12th 1973 they married in St Mary's church in Acocks green.
she had madde her own white wedding dress and the dresses of the 6 bridesmaids. they bought there first home together in Sparkhill,and despite being told she wouls not be able to have children, she did the impossible and had 2 little girls Lorinda in 1976 and Lorraine in 1979.
Most people find bringing up young children difficult,Not Janet,though. She needed very little help as she learnt to how to cope and adapt to situations.she had light in every window which flashed 2 if the doorbell rang and if the children were crying would flash continually.A very sensable and helpful method of keeping her informed.
As they grew Janet being a dressmaker was able to make her 2 daughters many of their clothes and lots of fancy dress outfits aswell. She loved going on holidays with the car and trailer and regulary took the family camping around the country,to cornwall,blackrock sands,paigton,barmouth,aberystwyth,and rhyll to metion a just a few.
when lorinda and lorraine had left home she even went to Australia for 3 months to visit 2 of her brothers,Ron and Dennis.
Janet has always been very fond and close to her family and when her grandchildren Kyle,Chloe and Luke arrived she was thrilled to bits. She was also a great support when Luke was born and it was discoverd that he had Downs Syndrome. It is easy to imagine how she would of encouraged him to become independant and determined as she has been ,had she lived longer. she also had 2 step-grandchildren Timothy and Jamie and a step-great-Grandson Owen. She was proud of them all.
janet has also been a great friend to many.She kept in touch with many of her school friends.

Carol Famer, a close friend, emembers many evenings out that janet had organised,when a crowd of them would be laughing ,jokng and having a goodtime.
Another good friend dennis capewell,was taken in by Janet and Christopher when he had a few problems in his life.
Michael Ariss a lifelong friend felt Janet was like a sister to him,and is very sad she will not have the opportunity to see the new bungalow he has just moved into.
Janet had a busy social life belonging to many organisations. She belonged to the polio club.The British institute for the deaf,sandwell,walsall and ladywood deaf clubs and the UB40 job seekers club where she helped deaf people filling in forms. She played every week at the gala hearing bingo and had her own seat so she could see the screen that sowed the numbers called.

Sadly despite Janet overcoming so many obstacles throughout her life, she finally lost the battle to Ovarian Cancer. She had a Hysterectomy, 3 treatments of intense chemotherapy and was within a couple on months of being given the all clear when cancer sruck again.
Sadly she will not get to know her unborn grandchild ,but im sure when the time is right the family will tell him/her all about Janet and what a realy wounderful person she was.

Latest Tributes

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From: lozza

remembering you at this sad time x i hope Dale has found you and u r having a fab time together x

From: lozza

another day has been and gone, how long will this pain go on?. you have a little grandaughter now shes growing up s...

From: lawrence

Hi mum still missing you lots you now have another grandson,daneil he is 5 months old now they all miss you love US ...

From: lozza

i light this candle for you on the day we lost our friend sister mom 2 years today ..i miss you and so much need to h...

From: lozza

1 week to your aniversary of your death ..we find out if you have another grandson or granddaughter on the way soon l...

From: lawrence

love you we all miss you xx

From: lozza

happy birthday mum/nanna love and miss you

From: lawrence

miss u loads mum happy birthday love u x x x rip x

From: lawrence

lukes nearly 4 now mum u would be proud of him he is doing well we all miss u x x x x

From: janeee

Hi Lorrinda, this is a lovely idea. . . your mom is missed so much, by so many. . . God Bless Aunty Janet. . . xxxxx

From: May07

Janet, When I remember you the image I find the most enduring is of you as the strong nuturing matriach. There was...

From: lawrence

love you always mum x

Biography

Fathers Name:	Sydney
Mothers Name:	Violet
Country of Birth:	United Kingdom
Country of Residence:	United Kingdom

Interests

Favourite Charity:

cancer research/Down Sydrome asc

Passing

Place of Passing:	Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Date of Passing:	15 November 2007
Cause of Passing:	Agressive Cancer
Type of Funeral:	Cremation
Funeral Director:	W.H.painter
Funeral Location:	yardley
Funeral Date:	28 November 2007