Janet Wolgast

Janet Dephayne Wolgast, age 87 of Beavercreek, passed away Monday, March 13, 2023 at Hospice of Dayton. She was born March 14, 1935 in Kenton, Ohio the daughter of Reed and Zelma Williams. Janet is the middle sister of three daughters. They grew up on a large farm where she and her sisters learned the value of hard work and family. She was a member of NHS in high school and took piano and violin lessons throughout her childhood and through college. She attended The Ohio State University and graduated cum laude as a music major and violin minor from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She was also a lifelong, diehard OSU Buckeyes fan and terrified the dogs on Saturday afternoons in the fall as she loudly expressed her thoughts to Woody, Earl, John, Jim, etc during those decades of so many great games.

Janet was a positive light in thousands of young lives over the years as she was the Children's choir director at Peace Lutheran Church in Beavercreek for 40 years. She also taught private piano lessons for 30 years out of her home. Several of her choir members and students went on to study music in college and in other venues. Janet loved her landscaping and flowers, caring for her kids, grandkids and family & was always very attached to a number of dogs & pets throughout her lifetime.

She had a penchant for humor and comedy- movies, standup comedy, or laughing while playing euchre…forgetting every few minutes what suit was currently trump. Janet found humor in every situation and loved to laugh as if she had good sense. She had a number of friends in the church through Peace's K-Group as well as through her children's activities. Like her father before her, she did not know a stranger and was always concerned about everyone's happiness and welfare. Janet was devout in her spirituality and her faith guided her through many challenges in her life.

She once won 6 cakes in the cake walk game at Valley Elementary Family Days by making her 3 kids walk around the circle to music while no one else played. The humanity of it all. She also had a sweater made out of her Keeshond dog's fur accumulated from three years of grooming- kinda gives you a sense of what we were dealing with here. Bad news Sammy…

She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Richard, of 37 years, parents Reed & Zelma Williams of Kenton, Ohio, & Great Aunt Genevieve. Janet is survived by her two daughters, Kathy Wrinkle (David) and grandson Cade Wrinkle; Tracy Daugherty (Jim); son, Brad Wolgast and grandkids Dane, Olivia and Mason Wolgast; her wonderful sisters to whom she was extremely close, Katie Berry of Columbus and Miriam Warrington of Lima as well as several other nephews and extended family.

A graveside funeral service for family will be held at the Mt. Zion Park Cemetery on April 11th at 9:30am, followed by a celebration of her life for all at Peace Lutheran Church immediately following at 11:00am on April 11th. Please visit www.newcomerdayton.com to share a memory in the family guest book.