January 9, 2012 Service: January 14, 2012 Janet Banta, aged 88, easily and gently breathed her last on Monday, January 9th, 2012. She was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, James Stuart Banta. Janet attended East Grand Rapids HIgh School, earned her BA from the University of Michigan after which she completed her Master of Nursing degree at Western Reserve University, Francis Paine School of Nursing. Later she returned to Grand Valley State Colleges for a Masters degree in Education. She and Jim raised five children on a farm in Cascade Township. Janet was an inspiring teacher, a loving mother, and a friend and partner to her husband. She held a distinguished career as a nurse, then as a professor of nursing at Grand Valley State University. At the time of her retirement GVSC school of Nursing established the Banta/Perkins Award which is awarded to the outstanding Senior Nursing student by their peers. In 1989 Janet was appointed Emeritis Faculty member at GVSC. She is survived by her five children, John (Linda) of New York; Mary (James Koert) of Massachusetts; Steven (Julia) of Texas, David (Maran) of Georgia, Ted (Beth) of Grand Rapids, fifteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. We celebrate her life this Saturday, January 14th, 2012 at 4:00 PM in services held at Fountain Street Church. Visitation with the family will be held at Ofield Funeral Home, 4500 Kalamazoo Ave SE, Kentwood, on Friday, January 13, 2012 from 6-8 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Kirkoff College of Nursing at GVSU, University Development, PO Box 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501.