Willie Janice Lewis Lagness

Willie Janice Lewis Lagness, 85 years old, died May 28, 2026, after a prolonged illness.

"Janice," as she preferred over her first name Willie, was born February 8, 1941, in Lake City, Arkansas. Her parents were Clarence and Maggie (Bell) Lewis. After her family moved to Flint, Michigan, Janice attended the Michigan School for the Deaf and graduated in 1960. She had one daughter, Debbie, born in 1966.

Later in her life, she married Gary Lagness on May 17, 1986. They were married for 26 years until he died in 2012. For many years, she was active in the Deaf community. She was a member of the Flint Association of the Deaf for many decades and volunteered many times for the Deaf Ladies Auxiliary. She was also active in the Deaf Senior Citizens Association in Flint and a member of the Master's House Deaf church in Flint, MI.

Janice enjoyed helping other people. She loved being a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a wife, and a good friend, and it showed. She loved being a homemaker, making crafts, sewing, and giving them to the people she loved. Later, Janice would reconnect with her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Richard Witt. They were constant companions until he passed away on June 28, 2025.

Janice was known to her family and friends for her beautiful smile and infectious laughter, the sparkle in her eyes that showed pure joy. She had a silliness to her that was filled with laughter, not caring too much about what others thought. She loved to travel, go to the Deaf club to play euchre, or bingo. She especially loved visiting with family and friends. Whether you knew American Sign Language or not, Janice would always go out of her way to help you understand and communicate. Whenever her granddaughters had a game, or a dance recital, or a band concert, despite the fact that she could not hear the music, she still enjoyed watching. She was always there to show her support and was so proud of her granddaughters. Janice enjoyed dancing; it was amazing that she could keep the tempo by sensing by vibration and watching other people dance. She was also a "tough cookie", as she faced many health challenges throughout her life, including surviving the whooping cough at 11 months of age, which destroyed her hearing.

Surviving are her daughter, Debbie (Cris) Eckert; granddaughters, Melanie Eckert and Melissa Eckert; brothers, Edward Lewis; special sister-in-Law, Sherrie Lewis, whom she loved like a sister; special brother-in-law, David Lagness, whom she loved like a brother; her favorite cousins, Francis Matchett and Patsy O'Donnell; several nieces and nephews; special friend, Marilyn Susinko. She was preceded in death by her brother, Gene Lewis.

Private services will be held. If you would like to donate in Janice's memory, please consider donating to the Master's House Deaf Church at 3242 Whitney Ave. Flint MI 48532.