Janet L. Karian passed away on the 22nd of December, 2025 at her home in Ventura with family by her side.
Born Janet Lillian Dupuis in 1934, in Minneapolis, she attended St. Joseph’s Academy in Crookston and Robbinsdale High. In 1952 the family moved to Glendale, CA where she attended LA City College, met and married Albert in1957. They lived in Glendale where their two eldest sons Anthony and Michael were born. In 1961, after Albert graduated from college, they moved to Ventura where their third son, David was born.
She leaves behind Albert her dear husband of 68 years: Anthony (Sharon), Michael (aka Miguel), and David (Carol) and daughter Rebecca (Richard); grandchildren Loral, Atticus, Travis, Arroya, Rachel, Sarah, Joseph; and great-grandchildren Gracelen, Gaia and Galax. Janet’s parents Joseph & Lillian Dupuis, a brother Joseph E. and sister, Rita, all predeceased Janet.
Janet loved her family dearly and believed strongly from childhood, that being a ‘good mother’ was the most important job in the world. She enjoyed cooking, collecting recipes, sewing, reading, rescuing lost and stray animals. She loved biology, art and geography and never dreamed of living overseas, since she preferred being close to family and friends.
In 1967, the family left Ventura when Albert joined the U.S. Foreign Service. This began a journey around the world when the boys were just 3, 7 and 9. The family first moved to Thailand where they lived ‘up-country’ in a small city named Udon Thani near the Lao border. There, after visiting local orphanages with other ladies, Janet felt they needed to complete their family with adoption of a 3 month old baby girl, Tidhaporn (Rebecca Christine). They lived in Thailand five years, before being transferred to Nigeria, West Africa.
After a short tour in Nigeria, they were posted to East Africa where they lived six years in Nairobi, Kenya. The adventure of a lifetime was spent making many treks to the ‘animal orphanage’ in Nairobi, game reserves in Kenya and Tanzania, and beaches at Mombasa. The ‘empty nest’ syndrome began as Anthony and Michael graduated from Nairobi International School and returned to the U.S. to attend college.
From Kenya, they moved to Afghanistan, for about a year, and were evacuated to New Delhi due to the assassination of the U.S. Ambassador amid unrest in the region. Subsequently, they were assigned to Amman, Jordan. It was at this time that David left home to attend boarding school in Greece and then on to the U.S. to college. Being posted in Amman for six years enabled them to make many trips to the Holy Land where Janet never tired of visiting the holy sites, jumping at any opportunity to go once again.
The Highlight of her life of travel overseas was the opportunity to walk in the ‘footsteps’ of Jesus, which brought the Bible ‘home’ for her. Their last assignment was on the island of Grenada, after the intervention of U.S. forces. After a year in Grenada, Janet returned home due to the ill health of her mother, graduation of daughter, Rebecca, and retirement of her husband. Settling back in Ventura in 1985, she rejoined the Our Lady of Assumption parish, joined a meditative prayer group, and became a Eucharistic minister to the homebound for a number of years. She was also a member of Young Ladies Institute of Ventura.
Family and friends are invited to visiting hours on Sunday, January 4, 2026 from 1:00–4:00 pm, with a Most Holy Rosary to be recited at 3:00 pm in the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, 757 East Main Street, Ventura. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 11:00 am in Our Lady of The Assumption Catholic Church, 3175 Telegraph Rd, Ventura.