Janice Grisham

Janice Elaine Tucker Grisham, 64, died Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 9:21 AM. She was a native of Hereford, TX and resident of Houma, LA. Visitation will be held on from at Friday, August 19, 2011 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM at Chauvin Funeral Home, Inc. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, August 19, 2011 at 7:00 PM at Chauvin Funeral Home, Inc.. She is survived by her, Husband of 42 years, Michael Grisham; her Mother, Winnie Mae Mays Tucker; Son, Paul Grisham and daughter, Michelle Grisham and brother, Tommy Tucker. She was preceded in death by her, Father, Derwood Carl Tucker. Jan devoted her life to her family and her profession. Her faith in God and love for others drove her to help everyone around her achieve their full potential and strive for excellence. She was a lifetime educator and the director of the Gifted and Talented program at Houma Junior High School for nearly 25 years. She was a National Board certified teacher and a mentor to other teachers. During her tenure at Houma Junior High, she took pride in coaching the Quiz Bowl team and her teams won multiple championships. She was rewarded with the honor of being selected as Middle School Teacher of the Year for the state of Louisiana in 2005. She was a two-time survivor of cancer (breast cancer and multiple myeloma.) Although she was often private about her illness, not wanting to worry others, in recent years she found purpose in encouraging others who were also living with the challenges of cancer. She was a member of First Baptist Church, Houma, and her faith in God gave her the strength to stay hopeful despite her illnesses. She leaves behind a legacy of education and changing lives. Her joy was always in teaching and encouraging children, beginning with her own two children, and the thousands of students she taught.