Obituary of janet marie cross

Janet Marie Gayle Cross, 68, formerly of Houston and Vardaman, Mississippi passed away peacefully at the home of her niece and guardian, Amy Dallas, in Crestview, Florida on March 12, 2022. She was born prematurely, weighing less than 2 pounds not expected to survive, in Middletown, Ohio on October 31st, 1953 to Raymond Gayle and Millie Russell Deibel. In an effort to save her life, Janet was left in an incubator too long resulting in total and permanent blindness. She graduated from the nation's first public school for the visually impaired, The Ohio State School for the Blind, and after her family moved to Washington she earned a degree in Music Theory from Tacoma Community College in 1975. Janet's greatest passion in life was playing piano. Her natural talent was unsurpassed and she shared her gift in the various churches she attended throughout her life and with the students she taught as a piano teacher. She also worked as a studio musician in Nashville for a short time and took great pride in having performed on several albums for Johnny and June Cash and Tom T. Hall. When asked though, she would say her favorite audience was always residents of nursing homes because, although she couldn't see them, she could feel their joy when she played their favorite song. Janet loved old westerns, the SciFi Network, animals of all kind, sitting on the porch during rainstorms, collecting recipes, listening to hummingbirds flutter at the feeder, and rocking babies to sleep. She enjoyed playing bingo, especially at the Moose Lodge in Ft. Walton Beach, where she was a proud member of the Women of the Moose, earning her Academy of Friendship regalia. In addition to Amy, Janet is survived by her great-nephews, Joseph and Evan; great-niece, Allie of the home; nieces, Rebecca Dallas and Lisa Dallas; nephew, Michael Dallas (Jennifer), all of Panama City; aunt Pat Easley (Harold) of Houston, Miss.; cousin, Linda Hewitt (Jim) of Columbus, Miss.; and numerous other cousins and friends that Janet loved very much. She is preceded in death by her parents and her only sibling, her sister, Patricia Dallas. Arrangements entrusted to Family-Funeral & Cremation of Mary Esther, FL (850)226-4240. A private burial will take place in Vardaman, Miss. In Lieu of flowers, Janet requested donations to the Division of Blind Services or Moose international.