In Loving Memory

of

Janis Carol (Williamson) Burwell

September 3, 1957 – November 17, 2025

Janis Carol Burwell passed away peacefully on November 17, 2025 surrounded by her family. She was born to Bryan and Dixie Williamson in Houston, Texas on September 3, 1957, the gentle and steady middle child in a loving family.

Janis married the love of her life, Mike Burwell, in 1978, and together they built a life of loyalty and devotion in Angleton, Texas. She dedicated herself to raising her children with patience and thoughtful involvement. She was actively engaged in her children’s activities – supporting them from behind the scenes through Scouting, sports, theatre, and academics.

Janis lived her life with a quiet strength that was easy to underestimate but impossible to forget. As the middle sibling, she moved through the world softly. Many people didn’t even realize there were three Williamson children—not because she wasn’t loved or present, but because she never sought attention. Those who knew her understood that her softness covered a deep well of steadiness, intelligence, and resolve.

She was methodical, thoughtful, and careful in the best way. She planned family trips with precision long before the internet existed, from where the family would eat to the hidden historical sites worth detouring for. Her Disney trips were legendary in their detail, designed so carefully that everything felt magical, seamless, and fun. She brought that same intentionality to Christmas, choosing gifts that were always personal and full of love. She made ordinary moments feel special by thinking through the details long before anyone else even knew there were details to consider.

Janis used that same meticulous care to support her elders, managing family finances, organizing home affairs, and tending faithfully to relatives through illness, including Uncle Son and Grandma. She was the problem-solver behind the scenes: the one who handled the practical things no one else thought of, who carried the emotional and logistical load without needing recognition. Her care for others extended to animals as well. She created a refuge where an abandoned dog could be nursed back to health, and she provided homes for the stray cats who were lucky enough to find her.

Janis especially shined in her role as Nana, and she was deeply loved by her three grandchildren. She spoiled them in classic Nana fashion – always ready to enhance a bowl of ice cream with a heap of whipped cream, or to send them home with a bowlful of marshmallows. They gravitated to her kind, gentle nature and her ability to see and connect with each of them, just as they are.

Her twenty-year battle with cancer reflected the same quiet determination and attention to detail that defined her life. Janis approached her fight holistically: physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. She researched every possibility, explored nutrition and healing foods, wrote personal prayers and affirmations, and sought strength from every direction. She navigated her care with precision, defying the odds again and again while maintaining her gentle spirit. Her resilience was not loud, but it was extraordinary.

Janis is survived by her husband, Mike Burwell; her son, John Burwell, his wife, Tracy Jo, and their son, Jonah; her daughter, Karen Lewis, her husband, Kadon Lewis, and their children, Harrison and Emily; and her sister, Susan Woods, and her family. She is preceded in death by her parents, Bryan and Dixie Williamson, and her brother, Fred Williamson.

Janis will be remembered for her kindness, her care, her resilience, and the profound, steady love she gave to her family.

The staff of Palms Funeral Home extends their deepest condolences to the Burwell family during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.