Janet Rae Thumm Hurst, 81, transitioned to her heavenly home in the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 10, 2023, in Palm Bay, FL at William Childs Hospice House. She was surrounded by her family and is now at peace after facing an aggressive, rare form of cancer.

Janet was born on June 26, 1942 in Warren, Ohio, the youngest daughter of Floyd and Kathleen Thumm. She had a wonderful childhood growing up in small town Leavittsburg, Ohio, spending quality time with her close-knit family (her grandparents lived in the house behind her!), playing with friends, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Janet attended Warren Township School from kindergarten through eighth grades. In the fourth grade, she started playing the clarinet. In her junior high years, she was a member of the cheerleading squad and played in the school band.

In 1956, Janet and her family relocated to Miami, Florida to be closer to family and enjoy the beautiful Florida weather. At Miami Edison Senior High School, she played clarinet in the school band, where she met her high school sweetheart, Hardee LaDon “Donnie” Hurst. Janet was an excellent student. She graduated from Miami Edison Senior High School in 1960.

Upon graduation from high school, Janet completed training to become a paralegal.

In 1963, she married her high school sweetheart, Hardee LaDon “Donnie” Hurst. They had two daughters, Laura and Lynnette. Janet and Donnie enjoyed 60 beautiful years of marriage together.

In 1972, the family moved to Cooper City, FL, an up and coming suburb of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where they resided for 34 years. For many years, Janet was a homemaker, caring for her family and actively supporting her daughters in their many after school activities. She served as a room parent at Cooper City Elementary School and held leadership positions at her church, Hollywood Freewill Baptist Church (Calvary Fellowship Church).

When her daughters were older, Janet returned to the workforce, first as a preschool teacher at her church, before returning to her career as a paralegal. She later transitioned to being the office manager at Braun & May Realty, where she retired in 2006. In all of her places of employment, she was beloved by her bosses, colleagues, and clients alike.

In 2006, Janet and Donnie retired to Viera, Florida, where they shared many years of an active retiree life. Janet began painting and pottery classes, nurturing her artistic talents. She painted numerous paintings in her art classes and in her home art studio. The medium of art she enjoyed most was painting watercolor of nature scenes. She had a great appreciation of nature and expressed this through her art. Janet’s art was featured in several local art shows throughout the Melbourne, FL area.

One of the most treasured titles Janet had was being Grammy to her two granddaughters, Aubrie and Danielle. She loved spending time with her granddaughters when they were young, reading stories, cooking, playing games, and going on outings with them. As they grew older, she was a guiding light in their lives and enjoyed celebrating their achievements and milestones.

Throughout her lifetime, Janet supported many charities through patronage and volunteerism. She was most passionate about the welfare of children and animals.

Janet was known for her incredible gifts of art, cooking, and hospitality. She loved interior decorating, making beautiful handmade birthday cards for family and friends, hosting holiday parties, and cooking. Janet spent hours each year planning holiday parties; decorating, cooking, baking, purchasing thoughtful gifts, and wrapping the gifts beautifully with great detail. Janet always made everyone who visited her home feel special and loved.

Janet lived 81 beautiful years on this earth. She had a wonderful life with loving parents, a husband she loved for 65 years, two amazing daughters, two granddaughters she adored, and treasured friends. Her legacy of love and kindness will live on forever. We miss her tremendously.

Janet was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Kathleen Thumm, her grandparents, Walter and Avanelle Ruth Kane and Lulu Thumm, her aunt Dorothea Ruth “Dodie” Kane Ready, uncles Eugene Franklin “Bud” Ready and Leo Kane, her mother and father in-law Frances and Hardee Hurst, and her sister-in-law Linda Gail Hurst.

Janet is survived by her husband of 60 years, Hardee LaDon “Don” Hurst, daughters Laura (Daniel) Simpson and Lynette (Jason) Thorstensen, granddaughters Aubrie Simpson-Gotham (Steven) and Danielle Simpson, her sister Patricia Laird, brother-in law Ronald Wayne (Adrienne) Hurst, nieces Terry Jo Laird, Linda Laird, Lisa Gwynn, Michelle Soto, and Stella O’Brien, nephew Tommy Locricchio, great-nieces, Katie Gwynn, Delilah Cruz, Victoria Locricchio and Antonia Locricchio, great-nephews Jared Johanson, Spencer Soto, Kyle Soto, and Noah Soto, and many treasured friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 20, from 12-3 p at the Heritage Isle Club.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Fostering Connections’ Janet Hurst Memorial Arts Scholarship Fund, which will support visual and performing arts scholarships for youth in foster care. Janet was passionate about the welfare of children and a patron of Fostering Connections during her lifetime. Fostering Connections was founded by her granddaughter, Aubrie.

This scholarship fund will be endowed to carry on Janet’s legacy of philanthropy and love of the arts for many years to come.

Fostering Connections is a nonprofit organization founded in 2019 that provides education programs and enrichment scholarships for youth in grades Pre-K - 12 and their families impacted by foster care, adoption, or trauma to give each youth and their families the opportunities, tools, and resources they need to thrive in life. Aubrie Simpson-Gotham, a local educator, founded our organization to help all foster youth reach their full potential and connect volunteers and community leaders to opportunities to assist foster families in providing stable, loving homes for children in transition.

We strongly believe that all children have unique gifts and talents to share with the world and need to know that they deserve to feel loved and valued by their family and supported by their community. Our volunteer Board of Directors consists of caring community leaders who are passionate about helping youth in foster care and foster parents make family feel like home. We are a diverse group of professionals. Several of our board members are currently foster parents or have served in that capacity.

Janet Hurst Memorial Arts Scholarship

By Fostering Connections Inc

Janet Hurst Memorial Arts Scholarship

Carrying on Janet's legacy of giving and appreciation of the arts through an endowed scholarship fund supporting art and music instruction for youth impacted by foster care

Team Members