Janet B. Nesin

Janet Beeler Nesin of Milton Township, Michigan, passed away on February 7 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by family and friends and has now gone to be with the Lord, her beloved husband, and other cherished family members.

Janet was born on March 11, 1941, at West Point, New York, to Jane Stocke Beeler and Colonel George Wood Beeler. As an Army daughter, she moved frequently during her early years before ultimately settling in her mother's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. After the untimely passing of her father, St. Louis became home for many years as she grew into adulthood. She later gained another devoted father, Milton Greenfield, when her mother remarried.

She graduated from Mary Institute in St. Louis in 1959, earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University in 1963, and completed her degree in Physical Therapy at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City in 1964. Janet then returned to St. Louis to begin her professional career as a staff physical therapist at Washington University.

In 1964, while vacationing at Rex Terrace on Elk Lake in Michigan, Janet met the love of her life. A few summers later, she married Guy Maurice Nesin and moved to Lansing, Michigan. She continued working as a physical therapist briefly before focusing on raising their four children over the next fifteen years in a close-knit neighborhood.
In 1982, the family relocated to Madison, Alabama, following a new professional opportunity for her husband. Janet would call Madison home for the next 33 years, forming deep friendships and returning to her professional passion by working as a physical therapist in local hospitals.

In early 1987, from a second-floor corner room of her family home, Janet founded Nesin Therapy Services with one part-time office manager and one physical therapy assistant. Beginning with contracts in local nursing homes, she opened the company's first dedicated outpatient physical therapy clinic in 1990. With the support of her two daughters—who also became physical therapists—her husband (who passed away in 1998), and many dedicated employees, the company flourished. By her retirement in 2015, Nesin Therapy Services had grown to three clinics and more than 60 employees.

Janet's life was filled with adventure and connection. She loved traveling with her family, hosting dinners, camping, sailing, skiing, and spending time at the family's vacation home on Elk Lake in Michigan. Her love for its beauty and quiet eventually drew her north permanently. While she spent much of the year at her own residence, she rarely missed an opportunity to visit her nine grandchildren—especially during the winter months.

Janet is survived by her four children, their spouses, nine grandchildren, and countless friends who celebrate her remarkable life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Effie E. Nesin Irrevocable Trust, 20698 River Canyon Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Memories and stories may be shared on her memorial page at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com/obituaries/janet-nesin/ .