Janice Marie Darnell, 71, of Cleveland, Tennessee, went home to be with the Lord on November 12, 2026. She leaves a family who knew, without question, that they were loved.

Born in Lumberton, North Carolina, on July 25, 1955, to James Albert Porter and Laura Marie Adcox Porter, Janice lived a life devoted to her faith, her family, and the people God placed in her path.

She met her beloved husband, Dr. Stephen Paul Darnell, in Gastonia, North Carolina. Their 49 years of marriage became a shared life of love and ministry that carried them around the world. Together, they traveled, preached, and served, giving their lives to the work of the gospel.

A lifelong member of the Church of God, Janice served, loved, and led. She served as the chancellor’s assistant at European Theological Seminary in Germany and ministered alongside her husband in countries around the globe. Her devotion to God was woven into the way she cared for people, both in ministry and in the everyday work of making a home.

Janice was known for her hospitality. She loved to host, and she brought her eye for beauty to everything she touched. Every room had her attention. Even the drawers and closets were thoughtfully arranged. She enjoyed shopping, beautiful places, and the pleasure of making something ordinary feel special. Those who knew her will smile remembering just how neat, elegant, and unmistakably hers everything had to be.

She was also a giver. Her family remembers her arriving with a bag full of things to give away. Gifts were one of the ways she expressed her love, turning an ordinary visit into an opportunity to bring someone joy.

That care remains in the lives of those she taught. As her family gathered after her passing, Starla and Connie were making a bed together when they realized they were doing it exactly the same way. Janice had taught them both how to make it neat and beautiful. In that small, familiar task, they recognized something of her that they would carry with them.

To her three sons, she was Mama. They remember her reading a favorite childhood book about a mother’s enduring love, a memory that now holds even greater tenderness. When asked to describe the mother they knew, their words were simple: “Nobody ever felt unloved.”

To her grandchildren, she was “Ocean,” a name she chose herself, fitting for a woman who loved the sea. It became a name that belonged to her in the hearts of her family.

Janice is survived by her husband, Dr. Stephen Paul Darnell; her sons, Billy Paul Darnell and his wife, Amber, Albert Vance Darnell, and Stephen Parker Darnell and his wife, Starla; and her grandchildren, Lori Darnell, Olivia Darnell, Judah Scott Darnell, Jedidiaah Parker Darnell, Esther Victory Darnell, Braxton Vincent, Jacob Vincent, and Cameron Vincent.

She is also survived by her sisters, Susie Eckerd and Connie Porter Thorne and Connie’s husband, Mel; her nieces and nephews, Brian Warnock, Monty Warnock, David Starr, Michelle Nicole Porter, and Lisa Porter; her brother-in-law, Randall Darnell, and his family friend, Michael Kitchen.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James Albert Porter and Laura Marie Adcox Porter; her sisters, Lois Jean Edwards and Mary Alice Grindstaff; and her nephew, Allie Bennett Dawsey IV.

Her family grieves with the hope of the faith she lived and shared. They will remember her in the welcome they offer, the gifts they give, the beauty they create, and the stories they tell their children. Above all, they will remember how it felt to be loved by her.