Obituary

Janice Collier

Janice Collier, 73, died peacefully on July 27, 2022 at home in Costa Mesa, CA from complication due to Alzheimer’s Disease with her husband by her side. She struggled with the disease for over 14 years. Janice was born November 5, 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland to the late Levy Whitaker and Blanche (Kane) Whitaker. She graduated from Baltimore Eastern Senior High School in 1966.

After high school she worked at the C&P telephone Company and later moved on to Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Janice would spend the remainder of her working life in medical records and medical coding.

Janice met her future husband, Herdie James Collier, Jr. (Jim).  in the Spring of 1965 she was just 16 years old and he was a few months short of 18. The attraction was magnetic. They would meet again in 1966 while Jim was in the military. They married on November 2, 1968 and took their first of many cross-country car trips. They lived in Fort Huachuca, AZ, Philadelphia, PA, Wilmington, DE and finally Costa Mesa, CA.

Janice was a lady with deep ties to family. She and Jim welcomed their only child, Brian Stephen Collier, on July 25, 1969. Janice was a homemaker for Brian’s first three years. She returned to medical records at Germantown Hospital until she joined Abington Hospital as a medical coder in 2000. In 2008, her Alzheimer’s disease made impossible for her to continue as a medical coder. She had to go on disability until she reached retirement age. She was a fan of General Hospital. Video Recorders allowed her to watch whenever desired.

Janice was family focused caring for her husband and son and supporting them any way she could. Her love and caring went way beyond her immediate family to including her parents, sisters, nieces and nephew and a host of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her smile would disarm them all and everyone wanted to be around her even though she didn’t talk much. Even when she was down she protected the family from her pain with that great smile and pleasant personality.

She is survived by her husband Jim, Son Brian, grandson Luke Andrew Collier, mother Blanche Whitaker, sisters Carolyn Whitaker and Priscilla March, three nieces (Cheri Whitaker, Melissa March Smith, and Allison Joy March), one nephew (William Matthew March), great nieces and nephews, aunt, uncles, cousins, and many friends.

In loving celebration of the life of Janice Collier, the family wishes you to donate to the Alzheimer’s Association in lieu of flowers. Gifts can be made by visiting www.ALZ.org or contacting your local branch. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. It affects the entire family.