Ms. Janelle N. Gardiner

Janelle Natashia Gardiner was born to Belizean parents Charles and Karen Gardiner. She was born on January 29, 1984, in Evanston, Illinois. Janelle really
knew that she was Belizean through and through. She even went to Belize with the intention of staying for two weeks and extended her stay for 9 months. While
there, Janelle shared many new experiences and grew as a result. She spent time connecting with her grandparents on both sides, learning to cook and spending time at the casino with them. She also bonded with lots of relatives and cousins, even practically moving in with some cousins in Belmopan. Janelle really spent this time embracing her culture, heritage and family, going on to attain her dual citizenship.

Janelle truly enjoyed life. She was a free spirit in every sense of the word. She believed in collecting memories, not possessions. She enjoyed live music and attended concerts on a regular basis. These concerts were mostly small and intimate, and Janelle always insisted on trying to be in the front row center. She was always the loudest in the audience, singing every single word and even connecting with some of the artists. This is just one example of what made her happy. Music was her fountain of energy.

 Jan had a deep spiritual soul. She believed in meditation, manifestation and prayer. She worked hard to align herself with the Universe. We always looked forward to her positive affirmations on her social media accounts. Janelle reached a point in her life where she felt whole. Every morning she would recite this positive message to herself. "I am loved. I am light. I attract people full of love and light. I deserve to be loved"! create my own happiness. Abundance is mine. I am always grateful. My ancestors protect me. My angels guide and support me. It is a blessing to be a blessing to others. I am worthy.  I love myself unconditionally."

Janelle was and still is a blessing to others. She lived and gave to all those she loved selflessly. At a young age she truly felt a sense of responsibility for her family. Because of this she developed a strong work ethic, always making sure to have a stable job and income to ensure she could assist her parents if there was  ever a need, She was determined to take care of her family. This extended to how she mentored and worked with her colleagues. Her leadership allowed her to develop strong relationships with her co-workers. Even bringing many of them into her home and family life. They also admired how hard and dedicated she was to work. Unfortunately, this work ethic also meant that she missed many family gatherings and special occasions. Janelle spent her career influencing and touching many, many lives.

Words cannot explain how much Janelle loved her family. Her siblings will always remember how much she was there for them. She spent her time creating deep bonds with them all. Janelle always felt that her younger siblings were her babies as she felt it was her life's work to take care of them and make sure that they always had everything that they ever wanted. Janelle did not take the traditional education route for her career paths. She completed three years at Evanston Township Highschool and then went on to obtain her GED. She started her career path at 15 years old working at Corner Bakery, then Walker Bros. Pancake House, Rolling To-Go, PLS Check Cashers and Sherman Dodge. She then left Sherman Dodge to go to Alabama to work as a Tax Preparer. She took some time off to help her cousin Lisa plan her wedding in 2012. She then moved back to lllinois and worked for the Coach store then got poached to move up in the Bloomingdale's department store. Janelle was offered a promotion at Bloomingdale's when she got contacted by Sherman Dodge to come back. This is where she hit her career heights getting promoted to Special Finance Manager. Janelle's work experiences truly developed her customer service talents. As they also aligned with her giving and caring personality. Her accomplishments showed her siblings and younger cousins that there is no one direct path to success as she soared in every job or career she had. Jan was a true inspiration.

She cherished every single moment that she shared with her siblings. Spending time bonding, laughing, watching movies or having family game nights. Janelle always had BALANCE when it came to family. "MOM" was her name when it came to her baby cousin J.J. & he meant the WORLD to Janelle. She may not have become a mom herself but she sure had an abundance of babies to love on. Janelle was elated when her siblings, Melissa and Charles blessed her with two nieces and a nephew. She made it known that she was "THE RICH AUNTIE". She was Please keep the family in your prayers.

Arrangements entrusted to Thompson Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. Mr. Philip L. Gillette ~ Funeral Director

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ms. Janelle N. Gardiner, please visit our floral store.