Janet DePriest Obituary

Janet Crawley DePriest, age 80, passed away Thursday, Oct. 3 at her home in Cramerton, N.C. Janet was surrounded by her loving husband, Joe, as well as other family members and caregivers.

Born in Shelby, she was the daughter of the late Dr. Samuel Jones Crawley Jr. and Julia Crisp Crawley, Janet grew up in Boiling Springs where her physician father worked in a medical clinic. After attending Boiling Springs Elementary School, she was a student at Shelby Junior High School and attended Shelby High School in her freshman and sophomore years. When her father returned to Wake Forest School of Medicine, the family moved to Winston-Salem where Janet graduated from R. J. Reynolds High School in 1962.

She earned a BA degree in 1966 from Salem College in Winston-Salem.

Janet had a diversity of talents and approached them all with a passion that impressed others. Whether it was playing a grand piano or creating delicious meals in her kitchen, she gave it her all. A hard-charging tennis player, she co-authored with friend Claudia Lutz a tennis-themed cookbook “Round Robin Recipes.”

Janet loved dancing, reading, and long walks in the outdoors. She was a top producing realtor in Shelby, Nashville, Tenn., Lake Norman and Gaston County. Known for her beautiful smile, she loved people and took pride in finding real estate customers just the right house. When they were happy, so was she.

Janet loved life, her church, Belmont First Presbyterian, family and friends. She will be missed.

Survivors include her husband, Joe, of the home; a daughter, Julie Perry (and husband Burch) of Edenton; son Fred Mills Jr. (and wife Rachel) of Raleigh; brother, Sam J. Crawley III (and wife Kristy) of Yadkinville; brother Sidney (and wife Jennie) of Mission Hills, Kansas; sister, Linda Perry (and husband John Potts) of Atlanta; sister, Elizabeth Haste (and husband Gary) of Virginia Beach; grandchildren, Bryson Perry, Warner Perry, Fred Mills III, and Cate Mills.

A graveside service will be conducted Thursday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m. at Cleveland Memorial Park, 1225 College Avenue, Shelby, The Rev. Sam Warner, pastor of the Belmont First Presbyterian Church, will officiate. The family will receive friends afterwards at the cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Belmont First Presbyterian Church, 102 S. Central Ave., Belmont, NC 28012, or directed to Hurricane Helene relief efforts through organizations such as Mountain Projects at https://mountainprojects.org.

A special thanks to Janet’s caregivers, Betsy Haughton, Nancy Rudisill, Bozena Frostad and Tammy Greene. Also, to Home Instead and Gaston Hospice (now Carolina Caring Clinical Team).

Online condolences can be made at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com

Cecil M Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is compassionately serving the family.