Janet Louise Rockafellar

Janet was born to Curtis Wilson Rockafellar and Alberta Mae (Green) Rockafellar who owned and worked a family farm of 240 acres in Eaton County, Michigan. The heart of the farm was the grand Victorian house of brick that was built by her grandparents in 1886, replete with servants’ quarters. Because they ultimately weren’t the type of people who felt the need to show off and preferred to attend to daily chores themselves, no servants took residence.

The farm thrived and was a center of activity for the community as Curtis and Alberta were fun-loving and reliable friends to all. Janet inherited their nature but never took to farm work, though she did ride a horse and raised chickens for spending money. Her love of learning led to her to be the Valedictorian of her class at Vermontville High School, and she went on to attend Michigan State. Upon graduating early with a teaching certificate and fluency in German, she married a forestry major she met there, Alan Lee Fowler.

They remained married for nearly 25 years, and in that time, they lived in Athens, Ohio; Richmond, Virginia; and Louisville, Kentucky. Janet taught a couple years, raised her daughter while working part-time, then was accepted into the T. C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in the 1970s. She stood out not only as a woman law student, but also as an older enrollee at age 35, both unusual qualities at the time. There, she earned the nickname “Ace” for her hard work and high marks. She spent the remainder of her career at National City Bank in Louisville as a Vice President of the Trust Department.

Because Janet rarely placed limits on herself, she enjoyed a wide range of talents and accomplishments such as hosting a radio show as a teen, serving as Chair of the Senior Bar for the state of Kentucky, converting to Judaism, performing in The Women at the Virginia Museum, and annually portrayed Woodsy Owl at the state fair’s Virginia Forestry booth in a sweltering vinyl costume.

Janet always bore the unpretentious values of her family farm and home. Despite benefiting from the advantages of a loving family, intelligence, natural beauty, and an advanced education, she never considered herself better than anyone else. She served others quietly over her many decades by teaching women prisoners to read; supporting visual artists of the LGBTQ, Black, and Jewish communities; serving as a decorated long-time volunteer at Jewish Hospital; housing visiting Juneteenth actors; teaching immigrants English; donating to dozens of causes; teaching Sunday School at the Unitarian Church; and taking in a few stray cats.

In addition to her many friends, Janet leaves behind her daughter Alexandra Fowler Rockafellar (Brentwood, TN); grandchildren Michael Alan Palmaccio (Seattle, WA) and Madeleine Rockafellar Palmaccio with her husband Michael Caizzi (New York City); a sister Judy Leone Moore (Lansing, MI); and five nieces and nephews.

Janet died peacefully in her bedroom at Canterfield of Franklin in Brentwood, Tennessee, due to complications of Parkinson’s. Family will gather for a small memorial in her hometown of Vermontville, Michigan, to celebrate her remarkable life that was lived with joy and curiosity every day. In lieu of flowers, you are invited to donate to the charity of your choice or to smiletrain.org which was dear to her.

Wherever she is, Janet hopes you are having fun today.