Janice Kay (Cooper) Stotts passed away on January 22, 2023. She was born to Paul and Marjorie (See) Cooper in Neosho, MO, on September 3, 1953. She graduated from Ames Public Schools in 1971. Janice married John Stotts on August 7, 1971. Janice graduated with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (Summa Cum Laude). In 1974, Janice was hired to teach Senior English at McLoud High School. She taught 29 years before her retirement in 2003. Janice then worked for 13 legislative sessions at the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Janice was elected to the Oklahoma Education Association’s Board of Directors, served on the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Client Security Fund and on the Pioneer Library System’s Board of Directors. She worked tirelessly within the community to raise funds for a “brick and mortar” library, which celebrated 25 years of service in May of 2022. Janice stressed the recognition of academic success and was humbled when the annual high school academic awards were named the Janice Stotts Letter Jacket program.
Janice was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Dan Ray Cooper and Dick Cooper, and brother-in-law Phillip Stotts. She is survived by her husband John of McLoud, son John Carl and wife Stacy of McLoud, Jimmy and wife Alicia of McLoud, and granddaughter Olivia Kay Stotts. Also surviving her is her sister Louise Maynard (Ron) of Mankato, MN; brother Eddie Cooper (Carol) of Drummond; sisterin- law Vicki Cooper of Lubbock,TX. Also, sisters-in-law LeeAnn (Rick) of McLoud, Rhonda ( Mike) of Newalla, and sisterin- law Karen Stotts of Shawnee, in addition to a host of beloved nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held Friday 1/27/23 at 10:00 AM at the Choctaw Church of the Nazarene in Choctaw, OK with graveside service at 3:00 PM at the Ames Cemetery in Ames, OK.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donation be made to the McLoud School Foundation- Janice Stotts Memorial Scholarship Fund.
