Janis Jones passed away peacefully surrounded by her family in Palm Beach, Fla., following a courageous seven-year battle with cancer at the age of 63. Janis is survived by her mother, Laura Sheara, husband Casey Jones, daughters Darcy Fogg and Piper Jones Candelaria, and brother Jeffery Sheara. She was preceded in death by her father Frank Sheara.
Janis was born on Jan. 20, 1956 in Saddle Brook, N.J. She graduated valedictorian from Croydon Hall Academy in Rumson, N.J., and graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University, receiving a B.A. in International Business. Shortly after graduation, Janis began a career on Wall Street as a financial advisor at E.F. Hutton. In 1979, she moved to London to marry John Surtees CBE, Formula One Grand Prix Racing champion, and join him on the international racing circuit. They later divorced. Upon moving back to Manhattan a few years later, Janis joined Drexel Burnham, rising to Senior Vice President at Shearson Lehman Brothers and Lehman Brothers.
In 1982, she married Louis (Casey) B. Jones Jr., real estate entrepreneur, in Manhattan. In 1986 the couple moved to Greenwich, CT where Janis was an active and dedicated member of the Belle Haven Club, Round Hill Community Church, and the Junior League of Greenwich. There they raised two daughters, Darcy (Jones) Fogg and Piper Jones Candelaria. Her daughters remember the genius of her perseverance, her ever curious mind and artistic eye, but most of all her unwavering support, generous compassion, and boundless love. Janis always encouraged her girls to “revel in your own uniqueness.”
In addition to an accomplished thirty-year career in finance, Janis was a truly gifted fiction writer, and avid participant and supporter of the Southampton Writers Conference, held each year at Stony Brook College, in Southampton, N.Y. In 2018, she won second place in the Palm Beach Book Festival “Find the Best Writer in Palm Beach County” Contest, for her novel The Original Trophy Wife. And in 2016, Harper’s BAZAAR chose Janis as the winner of their annual Fabulous at Every Age reader contest, and was honored in a feature in their November issue. When faced with the question “Why Am I Fabulous?” by the editors at BAZAAR, Janis inspirationally responded:
“Because I’ve learned that serious challenges and setbacks don’t have to destroy beauty. I was diagnosed with Stage III Triple-negative breast cancer. I was given only 50/50 odds of survival. Surgery altered my form. Radiation depleted my energy. Intense chemotherapy took my hair, my eyebrows and my eyelashes, twice. I learned through this difficult process, one so many women have to go through, that a woman can emerge more beautiful than ever because she has learned how to flex her strength. By being strong, a woman can inspire all those around her to be their most fabulous selves. I’ve come to know that even when life seems unbearably tough, your soul and spirit can still be amazing. Aging and having had a serious medical condition has actually helped me compare myself to others less. I’ve learned to appreciate and revel in my own uniqueness. And by feeling confident, I’m now able to reach out without distraction and embrace the people around me… and to me that’s simply fabulous!”
A memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 at 11 a.m. at the Round Hill Community Church with a reception to follow at The Belle Haven Club. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Janis’ life. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please send donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering Breast Cancer Research fund at this address: mskcc.convio.net/goto/janisjones
