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May 18, 1961 — Oct. 8, 2021

Janine Louise Jessup-Lekarczyk, 60, passed away peacefully in her home Oct. 8, 2021, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Born May 18, 1961 in Dowagiac, she was predeceased by both parents, Donald, who passed Dec. 19, 2008; and Hallie (Wiker) Jessup, who passed Sept. 26, 2014.

On June 3, 2013, Janine married Alan Lekarczyk. He survives her. Also left to cherish her memory is her son, Charles Harttung, of Stevensville. She is also survived by her brothers, John Jessup, of Marcellus, and Jerry Jessup ,of Fairhope, Alabama.

Janine worked for Thermoplastics as a Quality Control Manager for 20 years. She enjoyed being the captain of her own 42-foot Chris-Craft boat at Brian’s Marina in Saint Joseph, MI, where she made a ton of new friends and always impressed fellow boaters that a newbie could pilot such a huge boat so expertly.

She also loved fishing, mushroom hunting, golfing, tailgating, and she loved Michigan and Alabama football teams. She was always outdoors; she inherited her love of flowers from her mother who was a grand champion gardener and loved gathering with friends and family as much as she was able. When it was a challenge to go outside, she tried to stay as electronically connected with friends, as possible; while she and Charlie, got in as many movie nights as they could.

Throughout the last six years of her battle with two different types of cancer, her treatments, and the pain of those treatments, she never stopped being one of the most generous and loving people God ever created. Despite having serious health problems, she always had an empathetic ear for everyone in her life.

After her first battle with cancer in 2017, she lost her hair, and, knowing how that felt, she made a point to purchase yarn and other materials to donate to Michiana Hematology and Ontology to make hats for other cancer survivors. She empathized deeply with the psychological trauma of hair loss and wanted to do everything she could to comfort others going through a similar battle. She always had smile to light up the room no matter how she felt that day.

Family and friends will have a celebration of life for Janine on Oct. 30 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the VFW in Dowagiac.

To send private condolences to the family, please visit McGannHay.com.