Janis Marie Sage-Evans

Our beloved Janis Marie Sage-Evans went to be with the Lord on March 17, 2023.  She was born May 13, 1945 in Houston, TX & was the middle child of Henry & Lois Pace.  Jan was fortunate to be born in Houston since she was born with a heart murmur.  Houston doctors were able to diagnose this & repair it when she was just an infant.  They returned to Port Arthur shortly after Jan recovered.  She is predeceased by her parents, Henry & Lois Pace as well as her sisters, Peggy Barras & Cheryl Broussard.  She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1963.  She was very active at TJ throughout high school.  She was with the elite Red Hussars, a reporter for the TJ Pilot as well as Procter Street Baptist Club. She received a BA from Baylor University in 1967.  She taught for over 40 years from kindergarten to 5 ^th grade & felt the best-kept secret was 1st grade!  She started her teaching career in Ft. Worth in 1968, but taught & touched many lives in Arkansas and Virginia as well.  She retired from Port Arthur ISD 2005 to be with her parents.  After their passing, her next career adventure dealt with cancer patients & survivors.  She would take patients to local appointments as well as different Houston hospitals for follow-ups as well as treatments.  She would drive anyone that needed help to the store, family events, or the doctor any time of the day or night.  Jan & her older sister Peggy had a strong bond throughout their lives.  For many years on Friday nights, they would meet in Beaumont (Peggy lived in Sour Lake & Jan in Port Arthur) for supper & a movie.  They did this until driving at night became hard for them.  Jan spent countless hours in her backyard gardening & enjoying nature at its finest!  Her favorite flower was Zinnias.  She didn’t care what colors, she loved them all.  She was raised & baptized at Procter Street Baptist Church.  She attended church every Sunday until caring for her parents became more of her focus.  She then attended Church on the Rock until it became too difficult for her to attend.  She would watch Joel Osteen every Sunday morning.  She loved her family!  She adored her nieces & nephew Paige Arnold, Julie Dougher, Michelle Barras, Kristopher Barras, & Kristi Rivera.  One great tradition she started was waking us up in the middle of the night for an IHOP run.  We will continue to carry on this great venture in her honor.  She will be laid to rest next to her parents at Greenlawn Cemetery in Port Arthur, Texas.