Janet was born on November 21, 1942, in East St. Louis, IL. She was the daughter of Marion and Angeline, nee Gillock, Gaines. Janet attended Holy Angels Grade School and St. Teresa Academy in East St. Louis. She married Robert “Jerry” Murphy on August 5, 1961. She worked and volunteered in numerous positions throughout her marriage but focused most of her time and energy caring for her mother, siblings, children, and grandchildren. She deserved a special award for attending over a thousand sporting events for her children and grandchildren over the past 50 years.
In her spare time, she loved to play the piano, paint, and sing. Janet sang in the choir at St. Augustine Catholic Church and was also a member of the Metro East Community Chorale. She enjoyed spending time traveling with her friends and participating in many organizations, including the Jr. Women’s Club and the Red Hat Society.
She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Bill, Terry, and Jim Gaines; a sister, Judy Hindman; three brothers-in-law, Andy Orlet, Bing Hindman, and Tom Murphy; and a sister-in-law, JoAnn Murphy.
She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Robert Murphy;
a son, Thomas (Annette) Murphy of Columbia, IL;
a daughter, Diane “Dede” (Kevin) Maitland of Belleville, IL;
six grandchildren, Thomas and Nicholas Murphy, Matt (Erika) Stout,
Ryan (Makenzie), Kyle and Shannon Maitland;
a great-granddaughter, Mila Maitland;
two sisters-in-law, Eileen Orlet and Sandy Gaines;
and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Cathedral of St. Peter or to Althoff Catholic High School. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit with the family from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, February 8, 2020, at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belleville, IL.
Funeral: A memorial mass will be held at noon Saturday, February 8, 2020, at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belleville, IL, with Msgr. John Myler officiating. Following the mass, there will be a celebration of life gathering starting at 3 p.m. at the Abbey, 5801 West Main Street, Belleville, IL.