Janet Elizabeth Benesh

Janet Elizabeth Benesh (Burniece) of Tallahassee, FL passed away on May 15, 2026, at the age of 78. Through her lifetime she was known to those who loved her as Janet, Jan, Mom, Mama, and her favorite, Grammy. She was born August 27, 1947, in Minneapolis Minnesota where she spent her childhood as the oldest of four Burniece siblings with her brother and two younger sisters water skiing, watching hockey, hanging with friends and listening to music.

She graduated from Washburn High School in 1965, later completed her first year of college at Gustavus Adolphus, where she affectionally told her kids and grandkids that college is hard and she had to have her dad drive her home every weekend. She went on to transfer to the University of Minnesota where she finished her undergraduate degree and would meet her “Bennie” (Gary Benesh) whom she would later marry and celebrate 56 wonderful years. After moving to Florida in 1980, she also went on to complete a master’s degree in social work at Florida State University.

She spent her life’s work making life better for the Senior Community with her work for the Area Agency on Aging, Department of Elder Affairs, and Health and Rehabilitative Services. She also helped establish the Alzheimer’s Resource Centers in Blacksburg, VA (one of her favorite places to have lived), and later in Tallahassee.

She was an avid music listener, fire pit sitter, Studebakers & Chicken dance dancer, Biloxi slots player, Florida State fan (for any and ALL sports), grandkid “everything” watcher, OLLI student & walker, dog mother of Kiki, Banjo & Bruno, Ancestry researcher, Parchment Cove friend & neighbor, and Beach & Mountain goer – especially to her favorite places: St. George Island, Colorado and across the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Her greatest achievement however was that she was an amazing wife, mother, grammy, sister, cousin, friend, co-worker, second mother to all the boys and girls of Corrib & Tipperary drive and beyond, and always a bright ray of joy and sunshine in anyone’s day she encountered.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Genevieve Burniece (Anderson), Father, Stuart Burniece, Mother in Law, Leona Benesh Kopacek, Father in Laws, John Benesh and John Kopacek, Niece, Iris Burniece, Cousin, Maureen Burniece, Sister in Law, Mona Godderis and Brother in Laws, Gene Godderis and Ronald Tersteeg, in addition to other wonderful cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents from her lifetime.

She is survived by her husband, Gary Allen Benesh, her children Marc Alan Benesh (wife - Chantelle Benesh), Andrea Lee Carr (husband - Michael Carr), her grandchildren Katie Benesh, Lily Benesh, Cole Carr, and Paige Carr, her brother, Dan Burniece (wife - Patricia “Patty” Burniece), sisters Michele “Mikey” Burniece, Patricia “Patsy” Riley (husband - Peter Riley), Sister in Law, Betty Lou Tersteeg and many other family members and close friends.

Our family would like to thank Big Bend Hospice for the care and compassion they provided to our mom in her final days.

Family, friends and colleagues are invited to attend a celebration of life or in mom’s words “a party of sorts” at Westminster Oaks – Maguire Center on Sunday, May 24th at 2 PM. All are invited to join in the celebration, and we extend the invite to share memories and fun stories and to join in celebration with food and drinks. We will be establishing a live stream link and will share once available to all who would like to participate from afar.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in Janet Benesh’s name to Big Bend Hospice of Tallahassee (https://bigbendhospice.org/foundation/donate/) or Elder Care Services (https://eldercarebigbend.org/in-kind-donations).

A link for the livestream of the Celebration of Life:

https://evt.live/janet-benesh-celebration-of-life