Janice Marlene Swain, 70, passed away quietly after a short illness, surrounded by her loved ones, at 9:30 pm Saturday, February 23, 2019, at Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital in Yakima, WA. She was diagnosed in late October 2018 with a stage 4 brain tumor. Despite surgery, radiation, chemo, a positive attitude, and the constant care provided by her husband, cancer took her life.
Janice was born on 8-12-48, in Butte, Montana, to her parents William H. Bailey and Viola A. Bailey. Janice was the third of four children and lived upstairs in a four-plex apartment building on East Platinum Street from her birth until after her high school graduation from Butte High School with the class of 1966. Janice grew up a Butte copper miner’s daughter. A Butte copper minor worked hard for very little money. But her home was filled with love and her happy childhood was filled with ice skating, baseball, tag, camping, swimming, fishing, watching fireworks and the fourth of July parade from their second story apartment, and having a great time with Leslie, her siblings and her parents. Leslie Wroblewski was her very best friend during all those years and up until her death three years ago. After high school Janice married Howard Robertson and quickly had two sons, Howie and Christopher. They were divorced shortly after Christopher was born and Janice went to live in West Yellowstone where she worked in the laundry folding sheets at the Old Faithful Inn. She remained a top notch sheet folder for the rest of her life. In 1975, in the small cowboy town of Whitehall, Montana, while playing bingo in the backroom parlor of the town bar, Janice met her future husband, Arnold Swain. Arnold walked into the bingo parlor and took the only available seat, which happened to be next to Janice. After sitting, he looked at the woman sitting next to him and was immediately smitten. He said to her “if I win I’ll share the prize with you.” He did win, he did share the prize with her, and they shared their lives together from that moment until the moment she died. Arnold brought Janice and the boys to Yakima in 1976 where they were married and where Arnold then adopted Howie and Chris as his own sons. Janice was a wife, a mother, and a homemaker. She took great pride in making a career of taking care of her family. She was the proud wife of a U.S. Navy veteran, the proud mother of a U.S. Navy veteran and the proud grandmother of a U.S. Marine veteran. Her favorite things were spending time with her grandkids and great-grandkids, they were her pride and joy. Playing board games with her family. Scratch off tickets, and she always won. Going to the casino, where she always won. Her last visit to the casino was in early January, and although weak and using a walker, she won $1100.00. She also loved supporting her kids and grandkids in all their sporting activities and events. She loudly cheered them on during all their football, baseball, basketball and soccer games.
Janice was preceded in death by both her parents, Bill and Vi Baily; father- and mother-in-law Hank and Velma Swain; brother-in-law Richard Mehring; niece Melissa (Missy) Bailey; great nephew Keighton Svejkowsky, and her lifelong very best friend Leslie Wroblewski.
Janice is survived by her devoted husband of 42 years, Arnold Swain; her sister-in-law and friend Tina Swain Martin; sons Howie Swain (Shannon) and Chris Swain; grandchildren Dylan Swain (Christina), Alec Swain, Logan Swain (Lexi), Jake Swain, Josie Swain and Jaxon Swain; great grandchildren Cohen Swain, Grayson Swain, and Payton Swain; siblings Bonnie Mehring, Philip Bailey (Judy), Patricia Dunmire (Dan), and older half-brother Don Bailey Werst (Jan); nieces and nephews Barbara Nilson, Robert Mehring, Roger Mehring, Rick Mehring, Debbie Mehring, Dan Bailey, Shaun Bailey, Cindy Bailey, Joby Dunmire, and Penny Munyon.
As per Janice’s instructions she will be cremated. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm, on Sunday, March 10, 2019, at Rainier Memorial Center in Terrace Heights. The hardest thing in life is losing our Mother and Grandmother. If you’re a friend of the family please come and support us in our great loss.