Janet E. Magandy

Wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Janet Esther Magandy devoted her life to her family.
On February 23, 2016, she went home to God surrounded by her family after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis.
Born June 15, 1932, in Lexington, Mass., she was one of five siblings to William and Janet Buckley. After high school graduation, she worked several jobs before settling in with Ma Bell, where she worked until her marriage.
Despite living more than 60 years away from Massachusetts, her Boston accent would assert itself when she was riled.
She met John W. Magandy, a Navy Seabee, on a blind date. The May-November romance (they met in May and married in November) lasted 41 years until John's death in 1998, from cancer.
But those 40 years were filled with love, laughter, softball, children, more children, and the nomadic life of a military family.
It was in their first home at Great Lakes Training Center, Ill., that two children came along, as did the recipe for Magandy Candy.
A three-year stint in Newfoundland, Canada, brought three more children, including the eldest son, and a Seabee Queen title for Janet, a brown-eyed, red-headed beauty who earned the nickname of ""Big Red"" from her husband -- the only one who dared use the moniker to her face.
Their next duty station in Davisville, Rhode Island, coincided with two deployments to Vietnam and three more children to complete the brood. A cocker spaniel was added as well.
All along the way, mom cared for the Magandy clan as we grew in number and in years. She dealt with moves to Minnesota, Long Beach and Virginia Beach, broken bones, squirrel bites and the teenage years.
She also managed to get in some softball and bowling when not watching the kids play sports, and loved to cheer on the Vikings, then the Saints in football, as well as the Gulf Coast Bulldogs and the Millsaps Majors.
She also loved watch Sea Wolves games and Fire Dogs games, and had season tickets to both.
Janet also loved travel, trotting the globe to Ireland, Israel and Italy, as well as Mexico and around the United States.
But she continued to call Long Beach home, where she was involved in the Carnival Association of Long Beach and St. Thomas. She served as a Eucharistic Minister and on the bereavement committee.
She also never forgot the friends she made while John served with the Seabees, attending a monthly ladies luncheon of the old wives club members until shortly before her death.
In later years, she enjoyed bunco nights, doll making, sewing and making elaborate Christmas stockings, as well as a regular card game with friends.
Gardening was an abiding passion and her home was always awash in blooms from her orchids, African violets and Christmas cactuses, as well as hibiscus, daffodils, camellias and roses in the yard.
She is preceded in death by her husband, John, son-in-law, Michael Morgan, her parents, William and Janet Buckley, her in-laws, John and Pearl Magandy, her brother Bill and her sister Mary.
She leaves behind eight children, their spouses, Maureen (Randy) Sheets, Pam (Wayne) Gordon, Debbie (Lee) Loomis, Michael (Cheryl) Magandy, Peggy Morgan, Kate (Tom) Holzhauser, Laura (Stan) Hart, Timothy (Becky) Magandy; 21 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren (plus another on the way!), her brother John, her sister Ann, numerous nieces and nephews and friends.
Visitation will be on Thursday February 25, 2016, from 6 - 8 pm at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 720 East Beach Blvd. A rosary will be recited at 8 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 am Friday in the church. Burial will be in Biloxi National Cemetery.
The family prefers donations to The MHG Foundation, Attention, Dave Estorge, PO Box 1810, Gulfport, MS 39502...Please note the donation in Janet's name for the oncology department.
The RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Long Beach, is serving the family and an online guestbook may be signed at www.riemannfamily.com