Obituary
Janet Mote Monteith

Janet Mote Monteith, 77, passed away on April 23, 2024, following a battle with dementia and cancer. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Those who knew and loved her describe Janet as a gentle soul: easygoing, supportive, kind, generous, patient and joy-filled, with a quiet witty gleam in her eye. Janet was born August 29, 1946 in Woodville, Texas to Joseph McCampbell Snow and Ivy Dell Seamans. She attended Bryan Adams High School in Dallas, TX, and Howard Payne University in Brownwood, TX, where she met and married her first husband, Allan Mote. Janet then graduated from the University of Corpus Christi (now Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi). A lifelong educator, Janet began her teaching career in Corpus Christi, then continued teaching after losing her husband and relocating with her daughter to Northern Virginia. Later as a young widow, Janet met and married a young widower, Dick Monteith, from her church. In 1981, the couple moved to Wake Forest, NC, where they adopted each others’ children and raised their family. Janet and Dick founded Monteith Travel Service in 1983 and expanded it to three successful locations. In her role as an agency owner, Janet founded and directed an award winning travel school in conjunction with their business. In addition to her career, service to the church and community were constants in her life. This was evident through the work done with the Wake Forest Rotary Club as a Paul Harris Fellow and in her many church roles. Enjoying many decades of a flourishing business, Janet was able to travel the world extensively. As a lover and student of travel, her focus was less about the destination but instead the memories and lessons shared. Later in life, Janet became a self-taught watercolor artist and found much joy in this passion, incorporating her travel experiences into her artwork. Travel fueled her creative mind and reminded her of the miracle of God's creations and his people throughout the world. She shared this love by enjoying the fellowship of local artists’ groups. She never forgot how lucky she was to have had these early years of traveling the world, and she loved sharing her experiences with others. Yet, through all of her travels, her favorite trips were those spent with family and friends on the beaches of North and South Carolina. Janet was also a talented pianist with the ability to play by ear. Connecting to her family through her music, she loved playing and singing her favorite song, “You are my sunshine,” to her grandsons. Even through her illness, she enjoyed playing piano and singing until the end of her days. Janet was truly the sunshine to everyone fortunate enough to know and love her. Janet was a faithful and devoted Christian all her life and grew up with her childhood church just steps from her back door. If the doors of the church were open, Janet could surely be found inside. Having been a member of Baptist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal churches, denomination didn’t matter to Janet. Her lifelong love of God and his people was the driving force in her life and she followed where he led her. Janet radiated a deeply faithful and inclusive personality. She will be dearly missed. She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph McCampbell Snow and Ivy Dell Seamans; her first husband, Thomas Allan Mote III; and her second husband, Richard Taylor Monteith Jr. She is survived by her children: Kathy Monteith Otten (Bill) of Wake Forest, NC; Dr. Theresa Monteith Johnson (Michael) of Morehead City, NC; and Andrew Alderman Monteith (Kristen) of Charlotte, NC. Janet has seven grandchildren, Matthew and Graham Otten; Cameron, Sam, and Maggie Johnson; and Corinne and Abigayle Monteith, all who lovingly called her “JJ”. Janet is also survived by her brother and his wife, Joseph and Cheryl Snow of Colleyville, TX. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 3rd in St John’s Episcopal Church, Wake Forest, and the family will receive friends following the service in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Janet’s honor to Dementia Alliance of North Carolina, 9131 Anson Way, Suite 206 Raleigh, NC 27615 or The Rotary Club of Wake Forest, P.O. Box 1126, Wake Forest, NC 27588-1126