Janet E. Rex

Janet E. Rex passed away on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 at the age of 93.  Janet was born, raised, and lived most of her life in Delaware County, PA.  An only child, the former Janet Stead was a 1948 graduate of Collingdale High School where she was known for her quiet personality and for being an excellent typist.   

The best, and primary part, of Janet’s life began after she met a nice young man, Bob Rex, at a local dance held in Ridley High School’s gymnasium.  Bob was a 1945 graduate of Glen-Nor High School (now Interboro).  Following a dance or two - and thanks to a heavy thunderstorm later that evening - Bob offered Janet a ride home in his car, which not many young people had in those days.  The quiet redhead shyly accepted on the condition he also drop off her girlfriends to their homes as well!  He happily obliged, and Janet and Bob began a slow and steady courtship that culminated in their marriage in June of 1952.  Their happy marriage would last almost 67 years, until Bob passed in January 2020. 

In the late 1950’s they purchased a lot in Newtown Square and had a small rancher style home built.  During their marriage they became the parents of two daughters; Susan and Cynthia (“Cindy”), born close to seven years apart.  They raised “the girls” here, instilling the importance of education, strong work ethics, and accountability.

In addition to being a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker Janet worked for a period of time as a weekend waitress at Howard Johnson’s in Springfield and Horn & Hardart in Broomall and later as weekend ward clerk in Bryn Mawr Hospital.  To assist in making her dream of their daughters attending college a reality, Janet began working full-time for an insurance company in Media until after both graduated from college.  Well done, Mom; thank you! 

In their retirement years, Janet and Bob enjoyed watching both the Phillies and Eagles games on TV, taking leisurely drives throughout Lancaster County, exploring the Chesapeake Bay area, and trips around their home state of Pennsylvania, of which they both were so proud.  Their oldest daughter, Susan, also treated and escorted them on trips to Oahu, Hawaii and Germany.   

Janet and Bob truly enjoyed life’s simple pleasures, such as sitting outside on a nice summer evening until dusk and spending quality time with family.  Although they never had any grandchildren, they did have several grandcats through the years to love and spoil! 

In early 2019 Janet and Bob made the difficult decision to leave their beloved home in Newtown Square and move to a senior personal care community in Chester County.  After Bob passed in early 2020, and once the Covid-19 pandemic began to subside, Janet moved to a smaller senior living community closer to her local daughter, Cindy, who assisted both parents with their care needs and was their steadfast advocate.   

Janet was predeceased by her own beloved mother in 2008, whose care she oversaw for many years, and her beloved husband, Robert V. Rex. She is survived by her loving daughters Susan (David) and Cindy (Guy) who will miss her greatly and cherish her memory forever. 

Services and interment in Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill, PA are private.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Janet’s memory to your favorite cat and/or dog non-profit organization would be much appreciated by the entire Rex family.