Janet Lea Dittberner

Janet Lea Dittberner, born July 14, 1951, in Covina, California, to James Wallce "Slim" and Mary Patricia Dittberner. Janet passed away on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, from a rare form of cancer. She fought it valiantly for several years and lived longer than 90% of those with this form of cancer survive. She was 74. Janet moved to Laguna Beach to spend her last weeks, living with her sister, Joy Dittberner. She sat on the deck gazing at the ocean, visiting with her many friends and enjoying lots of ice cream every night. Joy was holding her hand when she passed along with her good friend Vicki Gaschen.

Janet never married but was very close to her surviving sister, Joy and her cousins Kathy and Chip Gauthier, their daughter, Melinda and granddaughter Laurin. She was blessed with many, many friends going all the way back to Montclair High School. She operated on an open house policy inviting visitors to her homes on the ocean and Mission Bay. Janet received a BA in English Literature from UC/Santa Barbara and a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. She spent most of her life living in San Diego where she practiced bankruptcy law for thirty years. After retiring, she moved to Las Gaviotas in Baja, Mexico for the last nine years of her life.

Janet was involved in several charities in Baja, serving as a board member and the President of Cruz Roja Primo Tapia. Janet loved animals and always had a cat. She volunteered as often as possible at the Baja Spa and Neuter Clinic, ferrying the cats back and forth to surgery and recovery.

Janet discovered yoga in Baja and was an avid practitioner. She liked taking a daily stroll along the malicon with friends. She loved to travel and went to Africa, Norway to see the Fiords, Italy, Greece, Spain, France, and England as well as NYC.

Janet was an avid reader who literally inhaled books, sometimes reading two or three a week. Every morning Janet could be seen sitting in her side yard with her coffee, doing the New York Times crossword puzzle IN INK! She continued this practice until a week before she passed.

She is dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.

There will be a paddle out celebration of life at the Las Gaviotas Clubhouse, Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM. Anyone wishing to attend please contact Joy at 949-510-8436