Janet was born in Newark, NJ in 1927, the youngest of five children, born to Howard and Ethel Margetts. She was always proud that her four grandparents were officers in the Salvation Army.
She grew up in the town of Kearney, NJ, and as a young girl took piano lessons for 9 or 10 years from her favorite aunt Grace. This was a musical talent she carried through her retirement years, and her favorite composers were Chopin and Rachmaninoff.
After high school Jan worked for six years as a laboratory assistant in the research department of Congoleum Nairn Flooring Company. She met and married the “boy around the corner” Walter Lambertson in 1949. They raised two sons, Jim and Dave.
When the boys were in grade school Walt’s company transferred him to California, and the family made a never-to-be-forgotten car trip across the country in 1961 to Santa Monica. They lived in the west San Fernando Valley for many years and when the boys were in high school Jan went back to work, this time as a bookkeeper, and discovered that she loved office work. Years later, when they were retired, Jan and Walt moved to Santa Maria.
Jan was active in the Presbyterian Church for many years, serving as a deacon and an elder, loved singing in the choir, and for a few years, she played the piano during church services when the organist, Belva, was away.
Jan loved needlework, sewing, knitting, needlepoint, etc. At one time she became interested in working with miniatures, and loved furnishing a five room dollhouse. She also loved her daily crossword puzzles, and was an avid reader. She loved baseball, and was a lifelong loyal San Francisco Giants fan.
She really loved music of all kinds, from Dixieland to Frank Sinatra, who was her very favorite from high school days as a “bobbysoxer” to the present.
Jan is predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Walter, her sisters Mildred Hayner and Dorothy Boeddinghaus, sister-in-law Helen Margetts, and brothers Howard and Herbert Margetts.
She is survived by her son, James, and son David, granddaughter Elizabeth, and family members, Pamela, Becky, Nick, Shaina, and many nieces and nephews.
