After a brief battle with Covid, Janice “Jan” Smith Austelle left her friends and family to be with Our Lord on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
Jan was born in St Louis on March 17, 1952, to parents Juanita and Earnest Lawson growing up and educated in California and Tennessee. She was known for her passion and talent in ballet and modern dance during her school years.
Living in Nashville in the 1970s, Jan being a perfectionist took advantage of the hair salon boom with businessmen moving from traditional barbers to upscale salons. Her training and skills were in high demand at the “go to” West End salon. Although she moved to a more traditional career after a few years, friends and family took advantage of her hair skills up until recently. On multiple occasions, she volunteered an impromptu trim to those she felt that she could make their look perfect.
Jan used her formal education to become a commercial loan officer with First American Bank in Nashville during the 80s and into the 90s. It was in The Service Center where Jan created many of her lifelong friendships as well as developing relationships with the current leadership of Pinnacle Financial Partners.
In the early 80s Jan and Don agreed that after a few years together that marriage was not the best decision, parting as friends. A few years later Jan married Paul Smith, a successful executive in the global shoe industry. Their marriage included raising 4 teenagers, unable to have children herself, this was an experience that she embraced and excelled in passing along the morals in which she was raised.
During this time Jan lived in Nashville and Charlotte (sometimes both). This is when her passion for architecture, and detail for home design emerged (long before the days of HGTV). Jan managed the construction of multiple homes in Charlotte and Nashville along with renovating rental units which consumed most of her time, enjoying every challenge, she was very good at overachieving results while staying within a budget.
After Paul’s passing in 1996, Jan continued to manage and improve rental units. Her love for animals was a passion and a priority in fundraising, contributing and involvement in regional animal shelters, specifically in less affluent outlying Middle TN counties.
In the fall of 1998, Jan and Don reunited in the romance that had never ended. The marriage that didn’t happen in 1979 was the beginning of an exciting future together on August 21, 1999.
In the following years, Jan continued to grow her skills in design for her personal residences as well as volunteer involvement in various home shows. Jan especially enjoyed helping friends and neighbors with their home design challenges, whether a room or an entire home.
Jan is survived by husband, Don Austelle; sister, Joycee Lawson; uncle, Earnest Rivera; cousin, Michael Rivera; cousin, Rick Rivera (Ginger); niece, Camille Caballero; great nephew, Leonidas Caballero; brother-in-law, Al Austelle (Kay); and niece, Claire Theats (Jeff).
Visitation will be at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road, Nashville, TN 37211 on Tuesday evening, Sept 13, 2022, from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM and on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, from 10:00 AM until service time at 12:00 NOON. She will be laid to rest immediately after the service at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens, 9090 Highway 100, Nashville 37221. https://www.woodbinefuneralhome.com
Serving as pallbearers are Joey Hatch, Helge Mjeldheim, Matthew Parmenter, Jeff Theats, RT Wingo and David Wingo.
Memorials honoring Janice Smith Austelle may be made to: St Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-honor Nashville Cat Rescue https://nashvillecatrescue.org/donate/
For more obituaries visit https://williamsonsource.com/obituaries/
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