Janet Lyn Inkley, born August 31, 1969, passed in the hospital with her partner and best friend, Ken Knowles by her side, on April 16, 2023. Janet was lucky to have a lot of family who adored her.  Born to Lorraine Gaza and Jeff Inkley (passed), she also lovingly called her stepfather of 46 years, Jack Gaza, "Dad".  She has two siblings, Christine Gaza and Laura Benedict.  Janet was lucky to be both an aunt and a niece and was an integral part of Ken's family as well.

While Janet was now a Californian, she was always a proud Chicago girl at heart.  Born and raised in Illinois, Janet was a Hersey High School Husky (1987) and a graduate of Roosevelt University in 1991 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.  Janet often reminisced about her most rewarding career endeavors: NBC5 Chicago, Hopkin's House (Alexandria, VA) working with children, and America's Voice (Washington, DC) as a cable network television producer.

Janet met Ken in Washington D.C. in 1997 and later joined him in San Clemente, California in 2006 .  Together, they adopted a puppy, Newman, who was the absolute joy of their lives.  Newman was constantly by Janet's side, full of kisses and cuddles.  She, Ken, and "Newmie" loved their many road trips throughout the state of CA.  But, Sundays in the Fall were always spent watching the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills.

A wordsmith, Janet loved to both write and read, often sharing book recommendations and having long conversations about what she was reading with her sister, Christine.  Her oasis was the backyard "reading pool" where she soaked in the sun.  She loved to travel and attend concerts, her 37 Grateful Dead shows were proof of her passion.   Janet's creativity was always on display at Halloween with costumes of social or political relevance.  You never knew when her beloved Muppets would pop up throughout her travels.  Janet loved to host parties for her friends and enjoyed cooking a five-course meal.

Above all, Janet loved to laugh and make others laugh as well.  Whether it was a "quick story" on the phone or a funny social media post, all will remember Janet because they will remember her humor.  She touched everyone with her spirited personality.  She was dearly loved and will be missed.

Celebrations of life will be held in both California and Chicago at a later date.