Janice M. LeBeau

Janice (Jan) LeBeau, 80, passed away on November 21, 2024, surrounded by family and holding hands with her husband of 62 years, Lawrence (Larry) LeBeau. She was born on January 24, 1944, in Menominee, MI, the daughter of Lou and Mag (Thoune) Machalk.

In high school, Jan loved working at Tilly’s Drive-in in Stephenson, MI, and as a nanny in the Chicago suburbs in the summers. On weekends, she helped at her grandparents’ Belgiumtown Bar & Dance Hall (where her parents had met decades before), cleaning up following dances with other family members.

Jan met Larry at the Michigan State Fair, and they quickly became high school sweethearts. After she married the love of her life on June 30, 1962, in Daggett, MI, they moved to Milwaukee, WI, and she worked at Briggs & Stratton for a couple of years. Jan and Larry moved to Appleton, WI (Fox Valley) in 1967, where she would spend the remainder of her life. She became a stay-at-home mom in 1964 and remained home for all four children, welcoming them as they returned home from school and encouraging and supporting them in all their endeavors. She also provided care for other neighborhood children throughout those years. She loved to swim and take family bike rides to the park. She was an amazing caregiver.

Spending time with family was always Jan’s priority. Holiday gatherings, birthdays, weekend trips to the U.P., sleepovers with grandchildren, and family member’s sporting or musical events were made special by Jan. Birthdays always included the family member’s favorite meal and chosen cake. Some of Jan’s favorite holiday traditions included Christmas tree and cookie decorating.

Jan loved playing games with her family. Her favorites were pinochle, garbage, and bingo! She was competitive and her motto was simply, “There is no family in cards.” Her favorite bingo games were when a prize (stuffie, blanket, decoration) could be won and given to a grandchild. From buying the grandkids their first day of school outfit to choosing gifts for birthdays and Christmas, she loved family shopping excursions, which always included lunch. She competed in the LeBeau Fantasy Football League, winning the first year against her brother, Peter. This year she drafted almost an entire team of Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, and her team is doing quite well. Jan’s passions included making sequined annual calendars, working on word search puzzles with a saying, and watching her shows. She read the newspaper and magazines daily, often copying articles she felt were beneficial to her children or grandchildren for them to read. Jan always loved fashion, changing her hair color, always matching her jewelry and nail color with her clothing.

In retirement, Jan and Larry enjoyed scenic drives around lakes looking for “her” white-tailed deer and enjoying fall colors. They took road trips to visit Dan’s family in Washington State, Niagara Falls, and to stay at their favorite hotel in Menominee overlooking the water. There is nothing that mattered more than spending her time with her husband, Larry.

Jan is survived by her husband, Larry; her children, Jodi (Pete) Traas, Dan (Julie) LeBeau, Nikki VanCuyk, and Kevin (Michelle) LeBeau; her grandchildren, Jackson Traas, Lexy VanCuyk, Raffy Traas, Kylie VanCuyk, Jake LeBeau, Josie LeBeau and Caden LeBeau; and her brother, Jim Machalk. She is further survived by her aunt, Doris (Thoune) Laurin; cousins, Rich (Judy) French and Judy Ann French; nieces; nephews; additional cousins; and friends.

In addition to her parents, Jan was preceded in her death by her sibling, Peter Machalk; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Fred & Alice LeBeau; and her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Olive (Ken) Benson, Lorraine (Raymond) Gunville, Stewart (Dorothy) LeBeau, Fred LeBeau, and Dick (Sandy) LeBeau.

A prayer service and luncheon will be held for immediate family members at St. Paul Elder Services on Wednesday, November 27, 2024. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to St. Paul Elder Services in memory of Janice LeBeau.

St. Paul Elder Services Donations: https://stpaulelderservices.ddock.gives/ 

Or mail to:

St. Paul Elder Services, 314 E. 14th Street, Kaukauna, WI 54130