Martha Janet Willis

12/14/1936 - 08/27/2024

Martha Janet Willis departed the earthly realm on August 27, 2024, at Baptist Health Louisville. She was 87.

Witty, charming, sharp as a whip and blessed with an endless font of kindness, Janet was easy to love and hard to forget, leaving smiles wherever she went. A lifelong resident of Louisville, Ky., she leaves behind three children who loved her beyond words: daughter Dee Noonan (and her husband Marc) of Louisville; son Cary Willis (and wife Paula Grover) of Louisville; and son Scott Willis (and wife Jill) of Bowling Green, Ky. Survivors also include her beloved grandchildren Zach Noonan (Sydney) of Nashville, Tenn.; Max Noonan (Mandi McNeal, fiancée) of Louisville; Leah Schmidt (Jacob) of Louisville; Lydia Grover-Willis of Louisville; and Tory Willis of Bowling Green, Ky; and great-grandchildren Rawlins and Lyric Noonan, also of Nashville. Survivors also include Janet’s sisters, Carol Norris (Tim Weber) of Aurora, Ind., and Nancy McCormick (Gordon) of Louisville, as well as brother Gene Norris (Janie) of Louisville, plus countless nieces, nephews and other members of the family she revered.

Janet has now reunited with the love of her life, her devoted husband of more than 58 years, Woody Willis, who died in 2013. Also preceding her in death were her parents, Jerome and Martha Norris; her sisters Dolores “Bootsie” McIntyre and Rita Wheatley; and brother Jim Norris.

Janet’s world revolved around her family, whom she loved and supported without fail and in whom she effortlessly instilled the values of hard work, forgiveness, gratitude, selflessness and honesty – in short, how to be a good person. 

Janet had a great, at times almost schoolgirl-giggly sense of humor, and she knew how to have fun. She and Woody loved to host family get-togethers at their backyard pool. She enjoyed frequent trips to Destin, Fla., for vacation. She was a terrific cook, a movie buff, and a lean, mean, square-filling machine when it came to crossword puzzles. 

In the 1960s and ‘70s, Janet, Woody and their kids loved nothing better than cookouts, outings at the Village Inn pizza parlor, long summer nights at the local drive-in, casual gatherings and road trips with friends like Betty and Willie, Jack and Ethel, Joyce and Jerry, Nancy and Ern, Hilmer and Faye, W.C. and Gretchen, and so many more. She knew life was for living, and she never missed a chance to join her gal pals for a raucous game of poker or simply cocktails and conversation. She liked potato salad, Old Forester bourbon, fried chicken, a plain McDonald's cheeseburger, and a juicy ribeye steak. 

As the kids grew older and had their own children, Janet and Woody would outdo Santa himself, showering their grandchildren with a comically excessive avalanche of gifts for every birthday and Christmas celebration. At restaurants, Janet insisted on paying, whatever the occasion. She had a great laugh.

Janet grew up in the South End of Louisville and attended Holy Name Catholic School and Ursuline Academy (now Sacred Heart Academy), graduating in 1954, then completed college courses in Business English and Computer Science. She worked for four years at General Electric Appliance Park, first as a stenographer and then as a typist. She took a few years off to be a stay-at-home mom when it counted most, and then returned to the workforce, first for the church and school that was a short walk away, the old St. Barnabas Catholic Church on Hikes Lane. From there she became a salesperson for the now-defunct Village Squire men's clothing store in Saint Matthews. Janet really seemed to hit her career stride, however, as a secretary for state government, starting with the Kentucky Children's Home in 1975 before moving to the Division of Corrections Training, from which she retired in 1996.

After Woody died in 2013, Janet sold their home and moved into the Miralea independent living complex at the Masonic Home on Frankfort Avenue. It was an adjustment, to say the least, but she grew to love it there, making a whole new set of friends and enjoying the many activities. After an injury earlier this year, she moved to Sam Swope Care Center. She appreciated the personal touch of the staff there. Likewise, the family wishes to thank Swope’s dedicated professionals, whose respectful and compassionate care helped keep Janet comfortable as she traveled the final leg of her journey.

Janet was never one to make a fuss, and in accordance with her wishes, the body was cremated by Magnolia Cremations, and no funeral is planned. The family will hold a private celebration of her life in the coming days. All are welcome to share their memories on this page. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to the hospice organization of your choice.