Janet Elaine (Marsh) Bay

CORVALLIS - Janet Elaine Bay (Marsh) was born at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, Montana on January 8, 1941 to Howard and Helen (Coleman) Marsh. She passed peacefully in her sleep on June 1, 2018 in the same hospital system.  Janet graduated with the 1959 class of 19 students at Corvallis High School.  While in school she was active in tennis, cheerleading, 4H and Rainbow Girls.  In 1957 Janet and her partner, Sandra Lockwood (Stibal), won the Women’s State Doubles Tennis Championship for Corvallis High School.

 Janet married Howard J. Bay in the summer of 1960. They were married for nearly six decades. (Janet’s Graveside Memorial Service will take place on June 23rd, the date that would have marked their 58th anniversary). The couple moved to Billings and then on to the Seattle, Washington area. Janet worked for the Boeing Company for a period of time and later took a job with Weisfield Jewelers. She remained with Weisfield’s for more than 20 years, beginning her career in the mailroom and eventually rising to the level of company Credit Manager. Outside work, Janet was busy with her three children’s schooling and extracurricular activities. She certainly could’ve brandished the moniker “Soccer (and Basketball & Baseball) Mom” long before the phrase became popular. She was also a favorite neighborhood mom because she enthusiastically joined in on pick-up games of basketball, baseball and football (yep! Football). She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a drop-everything-and-go children’s taxi driver. She did all of these things with a smile on her face. Janet lived a life committed to happiness, family, friends and other loved ones. She rarely, if ever, and some would proclaim, never, entertained negative thoughts and/or spoken words. This son of hers can testify with hand to God, that Janet never (ever) spoke an ill-begotten word about another in his presence. For that matter, demonstrating her kind-heartedness, she’d shoo a fly out the door long before ever swatting it! “It has every right to live too!” she’d say.  

Janet was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) 28 years ago, battled and survived cancer twice, and had diabetes. Was that a problem? Yep! Upon learning of each diagnosis, did Janet see any of those challenges as the end of her? Nope!  She often said, “When the time comes, I’m going to have died with those diseases . . . not of them!” Regarding her internal fortitude, when she received the extremely tough news that she had a very progressive form of MS and would likely not live beyond five years, Janet said, “That’s not going to work; I’m going to be around to see my grandchild graduate from high school.” The doctor looked around the room and back to her, and in a very matter of fact tone said, “But Janet, you don’t even have grandchildren yet.” Her response was immediate and returned in a hurry: “No, but I’m going to!” Janet piled more than a quarter-century of resistance into battling that awful disease… and in June of 2017, true to her word, she attended her granddaughter’s high school graduation in Corvallis, Montana — a monumental achievement, to say the least. All of us who had the privilege to be connected to her by way of blood, marriage, friendship or happenstance, share a common view — Janet was never (NEVER), ever (EVER) going to give up as long as the Good Lord gave her the strength to move forward.  She was loving, caring, compassionate, determined and gracious. May she Rest in Eternal Peace.

Janet is survived by her husband, Howard, her son Craig, her grandchildren (Sarah, Jason & Emma), her sisters (Carol Jo & Marilyn), her mother-in-law (Ruth), her brothers- and sisters-in-law, (Calvin & Sandi and Glenn & Carol), numerous nieces & nephews, aunts & uncles and her dear and devoted friends, Dorothy and Rasha.  She was preceded in death by her parents (Howard & Helen), her children (Jana Jo & Kevin) and her father-in-law (Russell). In lieu of flowers, you’d do Janet proud to simply provide an act or gesture of kindness toward a family member, a friend or a stranger in the line at the grocery store!

Graveside services will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the Corvallis Cemetery.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.  

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