Janice Dennis Obituary

Janice Faye Dennis, Milford, passed away peacefully surrounded by the family she loved dearly, on Friday, October 10, 2025, at the Genesis-Milford Center, she was 73. Janice was born in Milford, DE to the late James and Gladys Hobbs.

Janice Dennis was the kind of woman who would give you the shirt off her back, no questions asked. Even when she had little, she gave everything. She loved hard, laughed loud, and showed up for the people in her life in a hundred little ways that added up to something unforgettable.

She made every holiday feel like magic. Janice found any excuse to gather her loved ones, birthdays, random weekdays, you name it, and she always made sure the gifts filled the living room. It wasn’t about the stuff; it was about making people feel remembered, spoiled, and loved.

She spent much of her life as a waitress at the Milford Diner, where regulars became family. She had the rare gift of making people feel at home, whether they were family or just passing through.

Janice loved crabs, sweet tea, and cooking her famous chicken and dumplings. Saturday mornings were sacred, reserved for yard sales and Goodwill adventures. She treated thrift shopping like an Olympic sport and never came home empty-handed.

She enjoyed salon days, getting her hair and nails done, and never missed The Price Is Right or her favorite soap operas and of course The Golden Girls. She found joy in simple pleasures, and she made sure that everyone else around her did too.

She was many things to many people: a daughter, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and friend, but her grandchildren were her greatest treasures. She called often, sometimes more than once, and if you didn’t answer, you could count on a voicemail starting with “hey baby”, and long enough to fill in every detail she thought you might have missed. Her voice was a comfort, a constant, and something the family already misses.

Janice was a faithful member of Beacon Country Church for 18 years. Her church family was just as important to her as her own, and her faith carried her through every season of life.

Now, we take comfort in knowing she’s finally made it home, reunited with her beloved husband, her dear mother, and a few others who left this world before her. No doubt she’s catching them all up on everything they have missed in a long, heartfelt conversation, probably over a cup of sweet tea. Heaven just got a lot warmer, and probably smells like chicken and dumplings.

Janice Dennis leaves behind a family who adored her, countless friends who felt like family, and a legacy of kindness, laughter, and love. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Dennis; and a sister Phyllis Bonniwell.

She is survived by her children, James R. Dennis, Donna VanDenHeuvel (Kenneth); grandchildren, Brittany Porter, Courtney Taylor, Destiney Taylor, Alisyn Dennis, James Dennis, Amira Dennis, Collin Dennis, Emilee VanDenHeuvel; and 9 great grandchildren.

A funeral service will take place on Monday, October 20, 2025 at 12 Noon, at the Thomas E. Melvin & Son Funeral Home, 1522 S. DuPont Hwy., Harrington, with a visitation starting at 11 AM. Interment will follow immediately after the service at Hollywood Cemetery, Harrington.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her honor to: Beacon Country Church (Office Address) 71 Weatherstone Lane, Felton, DE 19943.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Thomas E. Melvin & Son Funeral Home, please visit us at www.melvinfuneralhome.com to express or send condolences.