In Memoriam

        November 4, 1948 to September 9, 2024 

Our former president, colleague, and friend, Janet Overton, passed away on the morning of Monday, September 9, after an illness of several months.  Janet was born and raised in Mount Vernon, NY.  She and her husband, Mel, moved to this area in 1981; sadly, Mel passed away in 2009.  After working in publishing as an editor, writer, and publications manager for more than forty years, both here and in New York, Janet moved to Leisure World in 2021.   

She soon became active in LWAAAC, first as chair of the community service committee, where she engaged in efforts to raise funds for a local middle school’s class trips and grocery store gift cards for LW residents.  She also established a relationship with Shepherd’s Table, under which she and other LWAAAC volunteers lent their time and energies to that charity, which offers food and other services to county residents and others who are food insecure and/or homeless.  Janet also convened the Prime Time Sister Circle monthly brunch group and was a member of the LWAAAC book club.

In June 2023, Janet became president of LWAAAC and immediately developed a questionnaire to determine members’ interests and their hopes for the organization.  Some of the results of the survey impelled her to appoint a web development committee that would build on the groundwork laid by her predecessor and the LWAAAC board to bring lwaaac.com to culmination.  The website went live in March of this year, and Janet stepped down in April.  In her resignation letter, she said, “ I’ve come to believe that LWAAAC is absolutely vital to LW’s African American community and that our vitality in this LW community has become contagious.”  Janet will be missed by many who came to love and respect her for her equable leadership style, calm demeanor, and gentle smile.

A celebration of the life of Janet Overton will be held on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 11:00 am at the Paint Branch Universal Unitarian Church, 6800 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD.   Condolences may be sent to:  

          Family of Janet

          c/o Janet Overton

          3100 North LW Blvd., Apt. #1002

          Silver Spring, MD 20906