Janet Devoll Fitts
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Janet Devoll Fitts, resident of Wesley Commons in Greenwood, SC, passed away in her home on Wednesday, February 26th, 2020. She was 93 years old. Janet was born to Arthur and Helen Hood on August 4, 1926 and grew up with two brothers and a sister in Kenmore, NY. She is survived by her sister, Margery Hoffman (Dale) of Greenwood, SC.; four children: John T. (Janis) of Chesterland, OH, David A. (Kathleen) of Durham, NC, Steven W. (Deshanna) of Indianapolis, IN, and Margery E. of Queens, NY; eight grandchildren, Lowell, Meredith, Jennifer, Tyler, Devin, Arden, Sydney, and Sadie; and a great grandson, Nicholas. She was predeceased in death by her husband of 66 years.
After high school, Janet attended Oberlin College where she studied psychology and music, and where she met her future husband, Everett. They were married in 1948 and after Everett's ordination in the Methodist Church, spent the next 30 years raising a family of four in western New York. They retired in 1985, after the family had grown, and then divided their time between Rochester, NY, Florida, and Chautauqua, NY. In 2004 they settled at Wesley Commons, in Greenwood, SC.
Janet's passion was music. An accomplished pianist in high school, she studied music at Oberlin College and later pursued a career as organist, public school music teacher, and choir director. As soon as her youngest child was of school age, Janet began teaching music, and she never stopped. She continued her music education through graduate studies at the Eastman School of music in Rochester, New York, and encouraged the pursuit in her children as well. In her later years, Janet became the unofficial Music Director at Wesley Commons, where she was always seeking new talent and looking forward to the next concert. Janet lived a long and full life. She loved her family and was proud of their many achievements, never pausing to recognize her own.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent to Main Street United Methodist Church, 211 North Main St., Greenwood, SC 29646; the United Methodist House, Box 115, Chautauqua, NY 14722; or the Wesley Commons Residence Fund, 1110 Marshall Rd. Greenwood, SC 29646. Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, a memorial service has not yet been scheduled.