Janet Tetkoskie

We are saddened to announce the passing of our family’s foundation and rock. Janet Woodward Tetkoskie died Tuesday, March 4. She was an adored mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend. She was preceded in death by her parents, Emmett Odell Woodward and Inez Jones Woodward; her beloved husband of sixty-one years, David Tetkoskie; and her big brother, David “Woody” Woodward.

Janet is survived by her children, Alan Tetkoskie (Alicia) and Kelly Tetkoskie Hight (Brian); her siblings Gene Woodward (Kaye), Emma McCrary (Walls), Kathy Goss (Ron), Jerry Woodward, Nancy Browning (Charles), and Debbie Benson (Chris); and three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and nineteen nieces and nephews. She is also survived by the most pampered dog on the planet, Oliver (who will now run Kelly’s household).

Janet was born on Oct. 13, 1941, in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was the second of what would become eight children (and the oldest girl). After her birth, the family returned to farm life with a move to a Lonoke County community, where Janet was active in both the farming and the care of the next six children.

In 1958, at the young age of 16, Janet graduated as valedictorian from Lonoke High School and moved back to the big city of Little Rock, where she shared an apartment with a classmate and worked as a secretary for the Arkansas Business Development Corporation.

Her life had a plot twist after she moved to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1961. There, she met and married the love of her life, the charismatic and charming David Tetkoskie.

Dave was an Army man – their life together took them all over the country and the world, but they also endured the unique challenges of a military family. Their first child, Alan, arrived in December 1963 while they were stationed in El Paso, Texas. When Kelly came along in 1965, they were living in Stuttgart, Germany. During Dave’s time in Vietnam, Janet kept the home fires burning and the family thriving. The last Army assignment took them back to Germany (Ansbach). After Dave’s retirement in 1976, the family returned to the States and settled back in Little Rock, close to Janet’s large and close-knit family.

Janet’s adventurous spirit and resilience translated into a long roster of events and hobbies that she conquered easily. She traveled the world while a military wife and even after. She ran a 10K at the age of 45. She graduated from college summa cum laude at the age of 55. She survived breast cancer three times.

She earned multiple trophies in competitive bowling leagues, was a nationally-recognized Life Master in duplicate bridge, and won multiple awards and ribbons for textile crafts.

Janet showed particular skill in sewing, especially quilting. Most family members were the lucky recipients of at least one of her beautiful quilted pieces (and it is quite a large family) – not to mention countless friends who received items as comfort during trying times. Always generous with her creative time and energy, Janet contributed squares to organizations that created quilts for veterans and children with cancer and joined a group to knit hats for cancer patients.

Janet’s life was never one of sitting still and waiting. She participated, joined, supported, organized, enjoyed, celebrated, contributed, taught, mentored, organized, and especially loved with every piece of her heart and soul, always. Our family feels her loss as deeply and completely as we felt her life and love.

A memorial will be held on Wednesday, March 12 starting with a visitation at 1:30 and service at 2:00 at Smith Funeral Home in North Little Rock, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church TV Ministry or CARE for Animals.