Janet “Janette” Boswell Lee

Janet Boswell Lee

Janet “Janette” Boswell Lee, 88, of Burlington passed away at her home on Friday, July 14, 2023.

A native of Alamance County, she was the daughter of John Preston Boswell Sr. and Lillian Walker Boswell, both deceased. She was raised in McCray, a tight-knit, rural community of family farms where many of the neighbors were relatives. It was here she learned the importance of family, faith, and community. These would remain the central pillars of her life.


As a girl, along with nuts and oranges, she always got a doll for Christmas; she loved them dearly. When at the age of 12 she received a slip instead, it was met with great disappointment. Later in life she built a collection of small folk dolls from around the world, though she never completely eschewed slips.
She graduated from Pleasant Grove School, where she played basketball, excelled in French, and was voted “Best All Around”. She remained lifelong friends with many of her classmates.
She was the wife of 36 years to the late James “Jim” Lee. They were blessed with five children who all survive: Wayne Lee (Alberto Mares) of Sante Fe, NM, Donna Clapp (Mark) of Burlington, Jay Lee (Lisa Temple) of Burlington, Philip Lee (Tom Cozart) of New York, NY, and Janet Lee (Scott Youngdahl) of Lexington, VA.
She was a devoted member of Union Ridge Church and Life’s Journey Church, quietly supporting their ministries and missions throughout her life.

Janette was retired from Lucent Technologies, having also worked at Burlington Industries, Western Electric and AT&T. In her retirement years she devoted yet more time to her beloved grandchildren, and she took the first of several excursions outside the U.S. She went big, traveling through Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and all the way to Indonesia, where she spent a month among the rice paddies, villages and beaches of Bali.

She was passionate about hummingbirds, chickens, and the arts. She supported many causes and organizations including the Nature Conservancy, Special Olympics, Project Smile and her local PBS station.
Janette was blessed with many gifts, not least of these in the kitchen, where she was known for her riffs on a host of southern classics. She worked from a large collection of cookbooks, saucepans and gadgets, and she found great pleasure in sharing the results of her labor. If you were traveling, she might insist you take a pound cake with you.
She had exceptional skill in creating sumptuous feasts on short notice, even when working from a nearly bare cupboard. Much appreciated by family and friends alike, this culinary wizardry was perhaps rivaled only by Jesus with the loaves and fishes.
She could consistently calm a crying baby, cajoling them to a peaceful slumber in quick order. This nurturing nature extended to plants, which she grew effortlessly in abundance throughout her home.
Her grandchildren swear she had healing hands, and she was a selfless caregiver to both the sick and the healthy. She fostered both of her parents and her husband through long illnesses, all while continuing to work and maintain her own household.
She cherished her many friendships, and liked nothing more than sharing stories and laughter with one of her close confidants. She was a gifted conversationalist, and was always eager to listen.
Janette found a special delight in all children. She beamed in their presence, loving them without reservation in all their raucous, sticky, messy, carefree self-expression. She gave them the run of the house, and the house surely shows it. But she welcomed the chaos and unfettered joy they brought, showing them how to love and be loved.
And through all things, she carried herself with a quiet grace and elegance.
Each of her gifts was special, but first among her many qualities was her spiritual gift of helping others without complaint, only with joy.
In addition to her children, survivors include grandchildren, Walker Clapp (Liz), Braxton Clapp (Terilynn), Blair Lee Langley (Kaleb), Lilyanne Lee (Damon Atkins), Sophia Youngdahl, Hallie Lee, Howard Youngdahl, Jacob Grenier, and Tyler Grenier; great grandchildren, Hunter, James, A.J., Watson, Madeline, and Fox; brother, Charles Boswell (Mary Jo); sister, Rachel Boswell Page; in-laws, Richard V. Lee (Pam); Mary Garrison Lee and Linda G. Lee. Besides her parents and husband, Janette was preceded in death by her siblings John P. Boswell Jr., Catherine Boswell and Nancy Carolyn Boswell; in-laws, J. Carl Lee and Irene Blanchard Lee; brothers-in-law, Steve Lee and Kayo Page; and sisters-in-law Rachel Carney Lee, and Carolyn Boswell.   

The family will be at Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Burlington on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.

A memorial service will be conducted at Union Ridge Church on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. by Rev. Phil Hardy.

Condolences may be offered at www.richandthompson.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Union Ridge Church or the American Parkinson Disease Association.

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