Barbara Jean Janni, 68

Wife and mother Barbara Jean Janni passed peacefully and entered the kingdom of Heaven on Nov. 21, 2023. She passed away due to complications related to a cancer surgery. 

The world lost a very special person on that day, she was a caring and compassionate woman who touched the lives of many people. Barb took great pleasure in doing things for others, taking the time to reach out to family and friends to acknowledge their troubles, rejoice in their successes, and make their day just a little bit better. Barb had many, many friends who will miss her dearly.

Barb was an active and vivacious person who was always on the move. She was an athlete, playing tennis, pickleball and golf. She also enjoyed hiking, skiing, swimming, traveling, singing and cruising on the waters of Whitefish Lake. She loved walking with her dog Ruby wherever the Whitefish Trail would take them and they could be found napping on the couch together afterwards. Barb was an excellent chef as well as an aspiring gardener. Her dinners brought diners to all corners of the globe and she regularly wowed guests at house parties and intimate dinners alike with her picture-perfect desserts. She was a thoughtful person and she spent part of each day meditating and thinking about her place in God’s world. That mindfulness and serenity existed alongside a lifelong desire to do what is right and to speak her mind, leading her from community involvement in the local school system and North Valley Food Bank to international involvement in medical mission work. 

She was born Barbara Jean Murphy in Great Falls, Montana in 1955 and moved to the Flathead Valley in 1985. She worked at the Alpenglow Inn on Big Mountain for many years before starting a bookkeeping business specializing in restaurant services. Barb is survived by her husband Scott, and her two sons Derek and Sean. She was so very proud of those boys and they grew up to be fine young men. Her memory and spirit will live on in them. Barb is also survived by her seven siblings: Patty, Colleen, Katie, Mary, Bob, Tom and John. Plus many cousins, nieces and nephews. 

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Dec. 16 at Christ Lutheran Church in Whitefish. The family requests that any memorials be directed to North Valley Food Bank.  

Rest in peace, Barbara. 

    Barbara Jean Janni