Janet Rae Costin Blane

Janet Rae Costin Blane passed away surrounded by family on August 3, 2026 at the age of 75.

Born to Ray and Louise (Grinstead) Costin in Durham, North Carolina, Janet was a true Tar Heel. She was raised in Charlotte, where she attended Garinger High School, making lifelong friends. After high school, she spent four years at UNC Chapel Hill, which she firmly believed was the most beautiful place on earth.

While at Chapel Hill she met a baseball playing Virginian who convinced her, after much persuasion, to give his state a try. After graduating from UNC with a degree in education, Janet obtained a Masters in Special Education from the University of Virginia and decided that in doing so she had spent sufficient time in the Commonwealth. She did, however, consent to keep the Virginian.

Janet married James Linwood (“Jim”) Blane on August 2, 1975— back in North Carolina. In 2025, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and friends in their beloved Blowing Rock, NC under a rainbow that spanned the whole horizon.

Janet taught special education for several years in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before transitioning to work with her father in the family businesses. Her skills at managing both processes and people were invaluable to the businesses for decades. She applied those same skills to her family, and after 51 years of marriage had made some limited progress towards keeping Jim on time and on task. In 2021, Janet and Jim moved their full time residence to Nashville, TN, where they have found a wonderful new community to add to those in Charlotte and Blowing Rock.

Janet was never the loudest voice in the room but always worth listening to. She believed in the importance of being on time, that iced tea (always unsweet) could not be too strong or have too much ice, and that there was no such thing as too much chocolate. She was scrupulously fair, keeping Christmas lists to ensure everyone received precisely the same number of presents, and incredibly organized. She had already started her Christmas shopping for 2026. She had a dry wit and keen powers of observation, and she was generous but never sought recognition for what she gave.

Besides her loving husband, Janet is survived by her two children, Alexis (and her “favorite son-in-law” Peter) and Brent (and her “favorite daughter-in-law” Hayden). Alexis and Brent were blessed to have a mother who always picked them up on time, reluctantly but diligently cooked dinner every night, and supported them in whatever they did— even when Alexis went to Duke. Fortunately Brent made a better choice and went to UNC. Both children also knew that they were displaced in the hierarchy of her affections by the arrival of her beloved grandchildren: Arden (11) and Gabriel (8) Rudebeck and Bowie Blane (5). Janet, who the grandchildren called “Dasha,” took great pleasure in delivering “paybacks” to her children by spoiling the grandkids with impunity, and her offspring knew better than to protest.

She is also survived by her brother John Costin and his children, and by her niece Isabelle Keim. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Julie Costin, and her niece Olivia Keim.

Services will be held at 1pm on Saturday, August 15th at Blowing Rock Methodist Church, with a reception to follow at Blowing Rock Country Club, and on Friday, August 21st at 2pm (Central) at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, with a reception on premises immediately following. To celebrate Janet, guests are invited to wear Carolina blue— a color in which, she firmly insisted, everyone looks good.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hunger and Health Coalition (Boone, NC) or Holy Angels NC (Belmont, NC).