Janice Renee Arnold

Janice Renee Arnold of Fallbrook, California, passed away at home on December 23, 2013, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 58, after a seven year battle with breast cancer.

Jan was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on January 17, 1955 to Norma Jean and Eukie Woodard, who survive. Together they moved in 1958 to Northridge, California where Jan spent her youth active in Girl Scouting and church and family activities. Jan graduated from Cleveland High School in 1972.

While attending her first year of college, Jan met her future husband, Philip Gordon Arnold, while they were both active in the College Department of the First Baptist Church of Reseda. Phil had just returned from Vietnam where he served as a corporal in the Marine Corps. After a short romance, Jan and Phil married on February 23, 1973 and were just two months short of being married for 41 years when she passed.

Jan quit college to help support herself and Phil while he attended college and law school. When Phil returned to the Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate, Jan joined him as they traveled to duty stations throughout the United States and overseas. Jan loved to travel and together they enjoyed trips to Japan, China, Taiwan and Macau. A later Holy Lands trip to Israel, Egypt and Jordan with Pastor George and Sharion Hreha created many special memories.

In May 1979, Jan gave birth to Brian Philip Arnold. In 1980 the young family of 3 moved to Fallbrook and were soon joined by Renee Elizabeth Arnold (Coleman) in May 1982 and Stephen Endicott Arnold in October 1983. Timothy Huntley Arnold was born in March 1986 while Jan and the family were stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Jan and the entire family became active members of the Fallbrook First Baptist Church when they first moved to Fallbrook and raised all of the children in the youth programs of that active, loving church. Each of the children came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through Jan’s personal, prayerful efforts and the support of her immediate family and extended church family.

Jan’s greatest joy was loving and caring for her entire family. She loved to celebrate all holidays and birthdays for her family with special meals and gifts. She was a wonderful cook and especially loved the regular Sunday dinner get-togethers in recent years with her parents, children, their spouses and her ever growing number of grandchildren.

A life long sports fan, Jan loved cheering for the Dodgers, Angels, Chargers and Lakers, as well as the Arkansas Razorback football team. However, Jan saved her greatest support and enthusiasm for her children’s sporting events and other extracurricular activities. It is only fitting that Jan’s last outing was to attend her granddaughter Keira’s final soccer game of the season.

Jan loved country music, eating catfish and barbeque, return trips to visit relatives in Arkansas, frequent lake house vacations in recent years to Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama, and her little Maltese, Rookie, who was lying across her legs when she passed. Jan had a special bond with her Uncle Robert and Aunt Phyllis Woodard of Arkansas, as well as her cousin Eugenia Roberson, also of Arkansas.

Having accepted Jesus Christ as her personal savior while in junior high school, Jan was a life long woman of God. In recent years she received special strength and encouragement from her small weekly women’s bible study group (June Wetzel, Beverly Tucker, Sharon Kayl, Judy Larson, Jana Hart and Emma Mussey) led by Sharion Hreha, the weekly Coffee Break ministry of Riverview Evangelical Free Church (leader Eleanor Johnson) and the Prayer Teams of Riverview Church in Bonsall and Emmanuel Faith Church of Escondido. Other special friends and encouragers were Dianne Riddick, Herb and Elizabeth Donner, Nancy Morser, Marion Berry, Dottie Hutcherson, Barbara Brown, Julie Preston, Pastor George Hreha and Pastor Mel Svendsen.

Jan’s life was a life well loved. She loved greatly and was greatly loved!

Jan is survived by her loving husband, Phil, of Fallbrook; wonderful parents Eukie and Norma Jean Woodard of Escondido; son Brian (Penny) Arnold of Temecula, daughter Renee (Hank) Coleman of Vista, son Stephen (Jessica) Arnold of Fallbrook, son Tim Arnold of Fallbrook; her adoring grandchildren Keira, Hannah, Elizabeth, Ethan and Trey, and many other family members and friends who will miss her dearly.

A private graveside service was held on December 30, 2013 at Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery, officiated by Pastor George Hreha. A public Celebration of Life will be held for Jan at Riverview Evangelical Free Church in Bonsall at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2014.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jan’s memory to the Samaritan’s Purse Ministry or Fallbrook Home Health and Hospice, who were so helpful and caring during Jan’s final days.