Janice Marie Wigton

Janice Marie Wigton (78) beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and faithful servant of Christ, passed peacefully into eternal life on February 20, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. Born February 17, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan, Janice was the cherished daughter of Leonard Philip (Pat) Dickinson and Mary Julia (Dagneau) Dickinson. She grew up in a close and lively family alongside her siblings: Douglas Dickinson (Carol), Lynn Dickinson (husband Clyde Smith, deceased), Alan Dickinson (Sherry), and Ross Dickinson (Rebecca). The bonds of faith and family formed in her early years would become the foundation of her life. Janice graduated from St. Agatha High School in Detroit, where her strong faith, gentle spirit, and dedication to excellence were already evident. She went on to complete her training as a Respiratory Therapist which prepared her for a profession devoted to the care and comfort of others. In later years, she also worked alongside her husband at his medical office, assisting with thermography services and contributing in quiet but meaningful ways to the care of patients and the mission of the practice. Janice was the devoted wife of Dr. Douglas John Wigton, D.O., of Rochester, Michigan. Their marriage was a testament to enduring love, sacrifice, and shared mission. In the early years of Dr. Wigton’s service in the United States Navy, Janice embraced the adventure of military life. Together they journeyed from Boston, Massachusetts; to Oakland and San Diego, California; and to Portsmouth, Virginia. Their first year of marriage—marked by travel, discovery, and deep companionship—was fondly remembered as a prolonged honeymoon. They began their growing family in Orange Park, Florida during Dr. Wigton’s internship, and from there continued building a home centered on faith, hospitality, and unwavering devotion to one another. After tours in the Navy at Pensacola, Florida and Patuxent River, Maryland, the family moved to Traverse City, Michigan and ultimately found their way to their beloved home in Cedar. Janice’s greatest joy was her family. She was the loving mother of ten children: Fr. Matthew Albert Wigton, Rector of St. Mary Cathedral, Gaylord, Michigan; Laura Marie Hahnenberg (Nicholas); Ruth Elizabeth Hiester (Kurt); Daniel Philip Wigton (Ann); Fr. Peter Timothy Wigton, Pastor of St. Mary’s, Charlevoix, Michigan; Samuel Douglas Wigton (Annemarie); Hannah Renee Allen (Kevin); Grace Christine Hastings (Justin); Michael Aaron Wigton (Kirsten); Timothy Mark Wigton (Stephanie); She also lovingly welcomed into her heart and home her foster daughter, Brit Houghton (Welbie). Janice was the proud and adoring grandmother of 46 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Each child was known by her, prayed for by name, and cherished individually. Grandchildren: Laura and Nick Hahnenberg: Joseph (Delaney), Isaac (Grace), Miriam, Seth, Zachary Ruth and Kurt Hiester: Hannah, Rachel, James, Eliza, Andrew, Joseph Daniel and Ann Wigton: Isaiah, Joshua, Eleanor, Anthony, Teresa, Michael Samuel and Annemarie Wigton: Ava, Marian, Vincent, Jonathon, Braden, David Hannah and Kevin Allen: Maximilian, Liliana, Leo, Evangeline, Gemma, Vincent, Mara Grace and Justin Hastings: Luke, Clare, Marian, Julia, Esther, Cora, Rosalie Michael and Kirsten Wigton: Christopher, Benjamin, Cecilia Timothy and Stephanie Wigton: Ambrose, Augustine, Clement, Louis Brit and Welbie Houghton: Eli, Wendy Great Grand Children: Joseph and Delaney Hahnenberg: Phoebe Isaac and Grace Hahnenberg: Declan Her home was a sanctuary of warmth, lively conversation, shared meals, and deep faith. A woman of quiet strength and profound trust in God, Janice lived her Catholic faith not only in word but in daily sacrifice. She supported her husband’s medical vocation faithfully for decades and poured herself into the raising of her children. Her life was a hidden offering — one of prayer, endurance, generosity, and steadfast love. Janice also bore with remarkable patience and quiet fortitude the unique demands of being the wife of a physician whose calling required long hours, interrupted nights, and constant availability to others. While her husband tended to the needs of his patients, she faithfully tended to the heart of the home. On their 97-acre farm, where hard work was not an exception but a way of life, she poured herself into raising and forming their children. Whether homeschooling at the kitchen table, managing the daily labor of farm life, or serving on local school boards to ensure excellence in education, she was steadfast in her conviction that her children deserved nothing but the very best. Her strength was not loud, but steady; not showy, but sacrificial. Through perseverance, faith, and love, she built a home that became a sanctuary of stability and purpose for generations. Those who knew her will remember her gentle smile, her resilience through illness, her devotion to family, and her deep trust in Divine Providence. She bore life’s trials with dignity and grace, never losing sight of the eternal hope that sustained her. Janice’s legacy lives on in her children, her grandchildren, and the countless lives shaped by her example of faith and motherhood. Her life was a testament to the beauty of marriage faithfully lived and to the immeasurable influence of a mother’s love. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Rosary Church with burial to follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery. Visitation: Friday, February 27, 4-6 PM. Vigil Service and Rosary at 6 PM. Visitation Saturday February 28, 10 AM. Funeral Mass 11 AM with Luncheon to follow. “Well done, good and faithful servant.” May Jan rest in the peace of Christ.

Janice Marie Wigton

February 17, 1948 - February 20, 2026