Janet Holtgreive

Janet Ann (Mack) Holtgreive was born May 30, 1939 at Mt. Mercy Carmel Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and died on February 23, 2025. Between those dates she lived a full and blessed life.

Janet grew up in St. Marys of Redford parish in Detroit, Michigan. She went to the University of Detroit Hygiene school where she met Jim, who was in his first year of dental school. After Jim finally convinced her that he was the one, he gave her a ring in the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. They were married on June 23, 1962. They quickly moved to California for two years while Jim was in the Navy. Jim and Janet moved back to the midwest in 1964. Jim practiced dentistry for two years in Detroit, but they found the community they were looking for in Kalamazoo. They raised their five children, Anne (Lee) Brown, Joe (Suzzie), Tom (Maggie), Mary Pat (John) O’Gorman), and Andy (Emily) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Later in life, Jim and Jan added an honorary son, Jim Coyle (Jen).

Janet proudly made their house a home. She took great joy in decorating, especially for the holidays. She and her sisters loved to go “antiquing” and her home was full of the treasures they found over the years. As much as Janet enjoyed decorating her home, she loved filling it with people more. All were welcome! Janet was an amazing cook and loved nothing more than hosting family and friends around the table in her “strawberry kitchen.” Janet also loved to fill her home with music. You would often hear the sounds of John Denver, Anne Murray, Neil Diamond, or Ruby Murray around St. Patrick’s Day.

Jan had an innate ability to see into people’s souls. So many people who crossed her path considered her a good friend, sought her advice, thought of her as a mentor, and loved her quick Irish wit. She was a second mother to many of her children’s friends.

Janet’s Catholic faith was very important to her, and she loved offering her hospitality and friendship to the clergy. Her home was always open for them to come, relax and be a part of the family. Janet was active at her church. She was one of the first lay people to take the Eucharist to the sick at Bronson Hospital. She did that for many years. She was also an integral part of the funeral ministry making calls to provide food for the luncheons. She often contributed her award winning lemon squares.

Janet loved her community in Kalamazoo. She volunteered at Ministry with Community downtown. With the Kalamazoo Rotary club, she and Jim took mission trips to Casa Amparo, a residential school for girls in need located in Mexico. Janet was chairman of registration for the USTA 16-18 Boys Tennis Tournament for many years. She was active in a variety of ways at St. Augustine school when her children were young, and with her big yellow van, was very popular when it was time to take a field trip.

After her children were grown, she opened a gift basket business called Great Lakes Gift Baskets. She had a shop on the Kalamazoo mall between the old Gilmores and Jacobson’s Store for the Home. She packed baskets with beautiful items all made in Michigan. The business grew over the years, and Janet did as much counseling to those who stopped by as she did selling baskets.

Janet, otherwise known as “Grammy,” was a first class grandma. Jan and Jim have nineteen grandchildren: Ryan (Arielle) Brown, Kevin (Rachel Charbonneau) Brown, Eliza (John)Sergeant, John Holtgreive, Christine Holtgreive, Josh Holtgreive, Colleen Holtgreive, Sam Holtgreive, Ruby Holtgreive, Rosemary Holtgreive, Lucy O’Gorman, Edie O’Gorman, Alice O’Gorman, Matthew Holtgreive, Mary Holtgreive, Molly Holtgreive, Nora Holtgreive, Liam Coyle, and Natalie Coyle, and one great grandchild, Meredith Brown. She loved her grandchildren beyond measure, and had a way of making each of them feel like they were her favorite. Her house was always full of love, laughter, stories, and a pantry full of snacks. If a child asked Grammy for a snack, no matter the time of day, the answer was always yes (at times to the parents' dismay). But Grammy’s house meant Grammy’s rules. A staple and favorite in that pantry was a box of Teddy Grahams she renamed “Grammy Bears.” In the later years, Jim and Jan moved to Eagle Lake, in Mattawan. That was a very popular move with the kids and grandkids. So many memories were made swimming, boating, and playing wiffle ball, but especially eating a delicious meal prepared by Jan. The best part was laughing, talking and just being with each other on the big deck.

Janet loved to play cards. She was a wiz at Gin. When she played with the grandkids, she was not the kind of grandma that let them win. They had to earn it. Jan played cards in two Bridge groups over the years and treasured the friendships she made across the table.

Janet had dozens of nieces and nephews that were all special to her. When family was together, “Aunt Janny” had a way of making them feel loved and special. They leaned in when she was getting ready to tell one of her stories. Jan had a philosophy to never let the facts get in the way of a good story, so her stories were the best. She loved “holding court” with her nieces and nephews around her. Her stories got bigger and funnier as the night went on. The torch is now being passed to those of us who loved Janet to keep her stories and spirit alive.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Hanley and Margaret. Her sisters, Catherine, Marian, and Margie, and her brother Joe. We know they welcomed their baby sister with open arms and are rejoicing to all be together again.

Please join us for a Life Story Visitation where food, drinks, and stories will be shared on Friday, February 28th, from 4-7 PM at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900 where the Rosary will be recited at 7 PM. Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, March 1st, 12noon at St. Thomas More Church (421 Monroe St). A reception will follow at the Park Club. Memorial gifts be made to Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo or Ministry with Community. Please take time to celebrate Jan’s life online by sharing stories and photos for her family to read on her dedicated webpage at BetzerLifeStory.com.