Janice Ruth Justice

Janice Ruth Justice (née Adkins), 82, of Vermilion, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 4, 2026, surrounded by family and supported by the caring staff at Kingston of Vermilion.

She was born July 29, 1943, in Franklin Furnace, Ohio. Janice grew up in New Boston and later lived in Lima before making Vermilion her home for the past 55 years. Janice was a familiar face in town, volunteering with organizations such as Serving Our Seniors and working for Romp’s Dairy Dock and Buyers Fair.

Janice’s true passion was her family. She shared a deep and enduring love with her husband, Jack. Janice referred to him as her best friend and felt their 65 years of love and companionship was one of the central blessings of her life. She was also a committed mother who encouraged her daughters to be strong and independent. One phrase you often hear from people who knew her is “sugar and spice”; she was quick to show love and concern for others and never afraid to speak her mind - characteristics she was proud to pass on.

When her own kids had grown, Janice directed her love of family to joyfully indulging her grandchildren. She embraced an active caretaking role and found great satisfaction in sharing their lives, listening to their dreams, and watching them grow.

Throughout her life, Janice expressed her love for family in many ways, one of which was pride in her home, where you could find gardens, latch-hook projects, unusual furniture pieces she refurbished, dozens of carefully organized photo albums, and an amazing display of vintage and second-hand collectibles. She had an eye for beauty and never passed up an opportunity to rescue a treasure from a yard sale. She also had a large collection of vintage records and loved music, especially bluegrass, country, and gospel. She was endlessly curious and loved to read; Janice was a frequent visitor to Ritter Library and always had a stack of books close by.

She is survived by her loving husband, Jack Justice of Vermilion; her daughters, Suzan (Dave Wood) Justice of Ravenna, Jacquie (Shawn Michalec) Justice of Vermilion, and Tammie (Matthew) Wearsch of Vermilion; her cherished grandchildren, Josie, Ruby, Paul, and Maddy; and her brothers, Vernon Adkins and Rick (Lynn) Adkins.

Janice was a Baptist with a deep and abiding faith in the certainty of being reunited with family who preceded her in death: her parents, Avery and Alma (née Whitt) Adkins; and her sisters, Bonnie Jones and Jan Nance.

Inurnment will take place at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery at a later date.

Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Save the Children

Online condolences may be shared at www.riddlefuneralhome.com