Janalee Marriott

On June 7, 2024, Janalee “Bumblebee” Marriott left us, (she never really loved the nickname, but it never stopped us from using it). Now, at her passing, it seems more appropriate than ever. Jan began her life on a cold winter’s day in Logan, Utah, on December 6, 1962. There’s an elegant symbolism between our beautiful Jan and the powerful bumblebee. For starters, bumblebees are more adept at doing their service to the world even at lower temperatures – winter had nothing on Janalee. In Logan, Jan joined her Mom and Dad, Margo Christensen and John Oleen Marble, as well as her older brother, Curtis John. She has always shared a unique and close bond with her older brother who probably was the first beneficiary of her abundant loyalty, love, and connection. Jan’s talent and skill for impacting the lives of everyone around her was just beginning to blossom.

The bumblebee symbolism and connection is strong with Jan. Bumblebees are nature’s heavyweight nurturers of the world. They are pollinators that go from flower to flower creating the endless color pallet that is the beauty that flowers provide the world. Jan provided that same selfless nourishment to everyone around her. Her flower- to-flower connection enriched so many lives and helped them see themselves in a different light. Some left more inspired to help a neighbor more often, some left shaming themselves a little less, and some simply passed on a smile communicating that the world has more love in it than hate.

In Logan, at three years old, she and her big brother and their aunt Lou Ann started dance lessons. They went to dance class once a week for four years. At first, recitals were scary for Jan. However, her mom supported her backstage and encouraged her to perform. Jan eventually overcame her stage fright and had a lot of fun performing. Around four years old, Jan won the Box Elder County Rodeo Little Princess contest. As the Little Princess, she smiled as large as life waving to the crowd riding in a convertible for multiple parades. Dancing was the impetus for her being known as the life of the party and making whatever she did fun. Countless times she urged let’s go do this or that and without fail said, “It’ll be fun!”

She made everything more fun and pleasant as she focused on the person, casting all judgments and frustrations aside. When you were with her, you knew she loved you – for you. Jan attended Honeyville Elementary School until she was eight years old. Honeyville Elementary seems the perfect place to start school for someone so intrinsically connected to bumblebees. Jan was incredibly social (as any good bumblebee) – she loved school and from the beginning, it was her nature to make lots of friends. She had a way of being the life of the party, but not overbearing; she made you feel safe in an inclusive way. Everyone was always welcome – that trait served her throughout her life. She lived in Brigham City, Tremonton, and Deweyville for short periods of time. There she connected with cousins and playmates and made even more friends. She finished elementary school at Perry Elementary. Around that time Jan adopted a second Dad when her Mom married Dale Wagstaff. She smiled and took so many of life’s speed bumps in stride. If you’ve been around Jan, you know her disarming smile that welcomed all in her presence. Box Elder Junior High, a bigger school, only meant Jan’s circle of influence grew – more friends and life-long connections.

As most families do, Jan’s family grew adding little brothers and sisters, namely Michael, Emily, and Brian. She was the most amazing big sister. Her younger siblings bonded to her almost as much as they bonded to their own mother. The family moved to Kaysville where she received another little sister, Elaine. Jan started high school at Davis High where once again her amazing smile and bright eyes enchanted those around her. Shortly after graduating high school, Jan again became the world’s greatest big sister for the sixth time to her baby sister, Joy. Beyond being a social bumblebee and making friends in school, Jan also met her high school sweetheart at Davis High, Troy Marriott, and they were soon married. Troy’s parents were so excited to have a daughter, having had all boys; and once they saw Jan in action, Roger, Troy’s father never let her forget how special she was. Although Troy passed years before Jan, his place in Jan’s heart will live on forever. Jan and Troy were blessed with Dustin and Wade. Dustin and Wade were more than mere children in Jan’s eyes. They were her everything (but let’s be honest, Dustin and Wade may have won the day, but Diet Coke was a serious contender for a while).

Jan and Troy migrated from an apartment to a mobile-home, and finally to their home in West Bountiful. Those roots run deep. If you know Jan, you know she’s really a pollinator nurturing all the flowers she touches. She is a gatherer, a uniter of people, and she did this with the overtones of unconditional acceptance. She wanted her friends to become friends. It was her way of pollinating all the flowers faster. She had no limits on making the circle (or in her case the hive) bigger and more accommodating. As she pollinated, people learned a unique kind of acceptance. It is an acceptance that isn’t verbal – it is just done – it was her superpower – it was the nature of Jan. Every exchanged glance, every smile, every eye roll and laugh added to her loving disposition which was directed at the person she connected with at that moment. West Bountiful is home to a special breed of Jan’s supporters. One time, out of the blue, Jan received a call from a lesser-known neighbor who was in an immediate bind and requested that Jan, whom she barely knew, pick up her grandchild from a day care center, get diapers and formula and care for the child for the weekend until she returned from out of state. Jan didn’t hesitate. Statues should be built to the Jan’s of this world who pollinate, beautify and create a more loving place.

Dustin and Wade grew up in this magical place of Jan’s love. Both saw that when those around Jan failed to see the world she created, it hurt her, and she carried that pain in the form of hope that things could always change for the better. She lived for friends mending disagreements and family seeing past differences. There may have been one downside to Jan’s magical world. The construct of time didn’t exist there; she was rarely on time for anything. But she made up for it by using the time spent with friends and family as a sacred and paramount experience – one that she guarded and cherished. Another trait to Jan’s magical world was that it often felt like a small-scale Marriott Hotel. Friends and family always knew they had a place at Jan’s home.

Jan entertained nearly double the friends and family as she shepherded Dustin and Wade through life. Preschool, elementary, and high school left dings in the walls, large shoulder-sized dents (but who’s counting), sprained ankles, stiches, a few broken bones, a dog or two, the house almost burning down, girlfriends, and one brick to Dustin’s head. Jan’s ferocious love for her boys easily spilled over to their better halves. Dustin married Molly Berman and Wade married Brooke Rawlins. Jan easily recognized Molly and Brooke for more than the angels they are; she knew the party was just getting started because grandkids would be on the way. Now, any grandchild lucky enough to be one of Jan’s and under the influence of her super-bumblebee-loving-powers was one lucky grandkid. Jan’s love and connection to them was nuclear; it was something so special to have witnessed. Her passion for her grandkids went beyond attending nearly every game played – it extended to shopping trips; fishing at Farmington Pond; IHOP breakfasts, and more often than not, cotton candy, snow cones, and ice cream; going indoor skydiving; Christmas stay-cations; and of course, attending Utah Jazz games regularly (including often meeting the players). If you ever have the chance to meet Kade, Willamina, Mac, Miles, Harrison, Charly, Blair, or Nellie you will see the reflection of Jan’s magic thriving in their eyes.

Jan’s magical world was suspended at the end of April this year, when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Jan, like any person, preferred things a certain way. She did not like her food to touch when eating; she liked her furniture arranged in a particular way (unless grandkids wanted to move it around); and she loved pollinating and impacting the world in her particular way. Her diagnosis irritated her more than anything; it simply put a cramp in her magical world. Due to her diagnosis, Jan finished her career at Utah Retirement Systems, where she had worked for the last 25 years. She dearly loved working and building relationships with her coworkers. Jan, in her darkest hour before the light, called out wanting to live. Jan, you are alive in all of us, and you will live forever in our hearts and the way we impact our worlds for good. The impact you left on this world will thrive and grow in your grandkids and their grandkids. Your family and friends are not the same people because of the time you spent with them. All the love you created, and stood so passionately for, will live on for us in every bumblebee we see, and in every human we connect with for the rest our lives. Jan passed peacefully June 7, 2024, surrounded by family, and in passing she left a gift and legacy of her magical world of love, connection, and compassion. All she would ever hope for is that we spread her magical world, making it more of our reality.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 14, 2024, at 2 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 1941 N Main St, Farmington, Utah. Viewings will be held the night prior on Thursday, June 13, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, and prior to the service on Friday, June 14, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. A Celebration of Life including food and drink will take place at the West Bountiful Park, 550 W Pages Ln, West Bountiful, UT 84087 on Friday, June 14, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Interment at Centerville City Cemetery. 

For those unable to attend the services in person, the funeral will be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and on this obituary page below. The livestream will appear 10 -15 minutes prior to the services at 2 p.m.

View her tribute page and gallery here: https://app.ourtributes.com/pages/r3L83V6J1BGg7pveSVLB/tributes