Janice Dee Grupe Neal

Janice Dee Grupe Neal passed away peacefully at her home on the evening of August 29, with her husband Charles at her side. Born on February 23, 1939 to parents James and Ada Bea Sutton, Janice graduated from Sunset High School in 1957, and attended SMU on a vocal scholarship. She met her first husband, Henry F. Grupe Jr, after singing in a church service at Highland Park Methodist Church. Smitten by her angelic voice and tenacious personality, the couple began dating and married in 1959. Janice and Henry settled down in DeSoto, Texas, where they raised 4 children and were active members of their church and community. Dedicated members of the First United Methodist Church of DeSoto, Janice sang in the choir and directed the children’s youth choir and musicals for many years. As a professional singer and actress, she performed as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, acted in various roles for stage/musical theater, film, television and worked as a model for still-photography and magazines. Janice shared the spotlight with such stars as Pat Boone, Cesar Romero, Arlene Dahl, Yvonne DeCarlo, Lorne Greene, John Pleshette, Ben Gazarra and Lou-Diamond Phillips. In addition to her love of performing, she advocated for education and enjoyed teaching children. Over the years, she worked as the chief drama instructor at the Creative Arts Theatre and School in Arlington, TX before opening “Backstage Theater” group for children and young adults. Janice founded the DeSoto Council of Cultural Arts, served on the board of the North Texas Film Commission and was elected to serve 2 terms on the DeSoto City Council. After the death of her first husband Henry in 2001, Janice focused on her new career path as a librarian, returning to school to earn her Master’s Degree in Organizational Management in 2004. She continued work as a librarian for the city of Cockrell Hill and Wilmer Hutchins before teaching at a charter school in south Dallas to finish her career. After years of determination and heartache, Janice endlessly searched for the void in her life that she felt could only be mended by a partner and companion. Someone to travel with; someone to create new memories with; someone to remember and share the past with; someone to laugh and cry with; and most importantly, someone to love, share and experience the remaining chapters of a book that was not yet finished. In 2013, Charles was visiting family and his daughter Julie encouraged him to go online and try a dating website. With some reluctancy, he agreed. Upon submitting information for possible matches, the first profile looked to be someone he recognized. Janice received an anonymous message on the computer from a person that read, “I think I know you? You seem familiar to me, but I can’t remember your name.” To which she replied, “Well, call me tomorrow if you can remember my name.” The next day, she received a phone call from a man that said, “Is your name Janice?” She said, “Yes!” “This is Charles Neal and I was the pastor for you and Henry a number of years ago!” She knew exactly who he was… and thus, a new chapter began. Charles served as Senior Pastor for Janice and Henry from 1985 to 1991. She and Charles realized they shared a common bond of losing their spouses to cancer (Henry Grupe – 2001; Mary Ann Neal – 2003), and ultimately continued the exchange in conversation from that day forward. Janice and Charles married on October 5, 2013, starting their journey together with new family celebrations, weddings, baptisms, birthdays and holidays. Before Charles retired from the Perkins School of Theology in 2018, Janice attended his class as a student for the final 4 years. Most importantly, they lived for each other’s company, enjoyed listening to symphonies and operas together, and rarely missed the opportunity to take in a Sunday sermon online from the First United Methodist Church of DeSoto and the Duke University Chapel. From their first date on, Janice and Charles never missed a day at each other’s side. Janice is survived by brother Jim Sutton and wife Terry, her children with Henry: Lori, Devlyn, Paul and Kenton; daughter-in-law’s Jackie and Julee, son-in-law’s Jeff and Scott; 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Janice was preceded in death by husband Dr. Henry F. Grupe Jr. Janice is also survived by husband Charles Neal, and family Julie and Greg Loose, Sherie and Bob Johnston, Ben Martin and all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Janice was preceded in death by Karla Martin. The family will receive friends at the First United Methodist Church, 310 Roaring Springs Dr., DeSoto, TX 75115 on Wednesday - September 10, 2025 from 11:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. with the Funeral Service beginning at 12:30 P.M. (same day) with Rev. Tim Marks and Rev. Kevin Strempke, officiating. Interment will follow in the Dallas/Ft. Worth National Cemetery, Dallas, TX.