Life of Janice Lynn McLeod

Janice Lynn McLeod (Otto)
Born: October 3, 1958, Edmonton, Alberta
Died: July 17, 2026, Edmonton, Alberta
Our dear Janice passed away on July 17, 2026, at 67 years old, in Edmonton, Alberta, after battling health challenges for many years. Janice Lynn was born on October 3, 1958, in Edmonton, Alberta, to Leonard and Mavis Otto, the eldest of their four children. Janice graduated from Harry Ainlay High School, and later she completed her Secretarial Diploma at NAIT. In April 1980, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Graham McLeod, and they were blessed with four children. Janice and Graham moved to Calgary in November of 1984, and raised their children there until November of 2019, when they relocated to Fort Saskatchewan. While managing a busy family of four, Janice also had a successful career as an administrator for various organizations including The University of Alberta, Purolator Courier, and Kids Cancer Care Foundation.
Janice enjoyed sports throughout her life, both as a participant and a supporter. She played softball in her teens and curled throughout her life. She loved watching her kids dance and play hockey and baseball, and that transitioned to watching her grandsons swim and play baseball and hockey. She was an avid Edmonton Oilers and Eskimo fan and never missed a Toronto Blue Jays game if she could help it.
Janice loved doing crafts and was rarely seen without a project in her hands. She sewed and crocheted as well as did cross stitch and needle point. Her loved ones will treasure the crocheted blankets, samplers, and cross-stitched crafts she made for them.
Janice was always up for anything and sought adventure wherever she could. She absolutely loved travelling with family and friends and never refused an opportunity to explore somewhere new. She planned and executed legendary shopping trips to the U.S. and would be the first to get on a roller coaster or skydive out of a plane.
Above all, Janice will be remembered as a perpetually kind person who went out of her way to help her family, friends and strangers. She would do whatever she could to make things easier for others, always asking, “How can I help?” She made a point of smiling at people she encountered and doing what she could to brighten their day. Whether it was sewing dance costumes for the entire troupe, sewing a wedding dress for a co-worker, crocheting washcloths to give away, sending family and friends job ads when they were looking for work or volunteering for Special Olympics and Kids Cancer Care, Janice was there.
Janice’s 2016 heart transplant and the many medical appointments which followed it highlighted her bravery and strength while she continued to spread kindness wherever she went. She did a walkathon for organ donors shortly after she received her new heart, enlisting many family and friends to donate and walk alongside her. Nurses, lab technicians, doctors and receptionists were on the receiving end of her smile and often heard her ask, “How is your day going?”
Janice is survived by her husband, Graham; her children Wesley (Tiffany), Andrew (Leanne), Caitlin Maclean (Jason), and Travis (Kate); and her grandchildren, Tristan and Archer Maclean.
As Christmas was Janice’s favourite time of year, the family invites you to show your Christmas spirit by doing something generous for someone else. If you feel so moved, reach out and tell us about it or of a joyful memory you have of Janice.
A Celebration of Janice’s Life will take place on August 9, 2026, 2:00 to 5:00 at Whitecroft Community Hall, 314, 52313 range Road 232, East Whitecroft. The family invite you to wear a piece of clothing which reflects the Christmas spirit.