Janice W. Talge, Leawood, Kansas, age 86, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2023, surrounded by her loving family. She was born December 14, 1936 in Topeka, KS, the second child and only daughter of Burton and Bea Weber. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, attending JC Nichols Grade School and Southwest High School. She is preceded in her death by her parents, her brother Jim and her eldest son, Mark.
Janice first met her future husband, Steve Talge at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Brookside while both were children in the same 1949 confirmation class. He was in the Junior Altar Guild as a young adult and the Senior Altar Guild in the 1940s. 80.
While at Southwest High School, she began dating Steve in her sophomore year and married after her senior year at the University of Missouri, Columbia. The ceremony took place in St. Andrews Church on December 4, 1959. They have been married for 63 years. Together, Steve and Janice raised their three children Mark, Andrew and Carrie.
Janice graduated from the University of Missouri in 1959 with a degree in marketing from its School of Business. She was a staunch supporter of MU with members of the Jefferson Club, the Davenport Society and the Tiger Scholarship Fund.
He was an active member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity, both in school and as an alum. In her junior year in the spring of 1959, she was chosen “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” by the MU chapter of the fraternity to which Steve belonged. Janice was on the Golden Key board at MU and later led the KKG Christmas Homes Tour in Kansas City for an unprecedented two separate years. She was eventually honored with the “Kappa of the Year” award by the KKG Alumni Association of Kansas City.
After graduating from MU, Janice became the president of the Southwest High School Class of ’55 reunions, which had been held every five years over the span of 60 years. She was ably assisted by Lois Kelly, Elaine Gill and a host of other classmates. It is said that with little effort Janice could memorize the name and address of every member of the class of ’55, including the names of spouses and children, for a total of 350 students to graduate.
The Talges have owned a home on Lake Lotawana for 43 years where they raised their family and entertained their friends. One of their annual Fourth of July guests, a lifelong friend, could be heard asking upon arrival, “Where’s the spinach dip?” Just one of many tributes to Janice’s immense cooking prowess.
Janice has dedicated her time to serving others, volunteering at St. Luke’s Heart Center and Children’s Mercy Hospital.
He was highly skilled at tennis, cycling, and long-distance running. He loved playing doubles, biking all over the United States, and running marathons, all with Steve at his side or nearby. He has won many races and medals in his age group over the years. That year she placed first at the Coors Regional Biathlon and third at the Coors National Meet in her age group. Steve rode in all of Janice’s races in the men’s division for her age group. She says, “I’ve never won a medal.”
Janice loved to travel with her devoted husband to China, Japan, Taiwan, Africa, Russia, Canada and much of Europe. They spent the winters in Key West and loved to ride their bikes throughout the Keys.
Janice is survived by her husband Steve, her son Andrew (Audrey), daughter Carrie (Kyle) and her six grandchildren Molly, Anne, Wyatt, Megan, Hayden and Allison.
Services will be held for family and friends at St. Andrew’s Church, Meyer Boulevard and Wornall Road, KC, MO on February 11, 2023, at 11:00 am.
In lieu of flowers, donate to a charity of your choice.
