Janet Darden Woodbury

Janet Darden Woodbury, 83, was born on September 17, 1937, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Norman and Evelyn Darden and passed away Sunday, January 10, 2021, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The family moved to Springhill, Louisiana and she grew up in the home her father built in that small town. She hated school and said recess was always her favorite part of the school day. She took piano lessons, though she rarely played later in life, but loved her teacher. She owned a horse that was quite spirited, but she managed it well. She had an older brother, Douglas, whom she loved dearly. They were very close, even to the point that in high school they would attend dances at the country club together. They were often the winners of the dance contests. She said he was a very good dancer. She was also a very good dancer as witnessed on numerous occasions. She would often tell the story of when her father bought her a Baby Ruth candy bar and she was so excited because candy was such a luxury. Sadly, when she took a bite, there was a worm in it and she never forgot that. Janet graduated high school and moved to the big city of Shreveport. She didn\'t want to go to college. She worked at the bank, lived at the Y, and then with an older lady who rented out rooms to young women. She attended many functions around town, especially at Centenary College of Louisiana. She was adventurous, fearless, and the best cook you could ever hope to find. She had that knack of cooking for the finer points. An example, she would cut grapefruits in half, cut all the sections loose, sugar them and put in the fridge overnight. When serving them for breakfast, she would always cut a cherry in half and place it in the middle. She cooked the best fried chicken, from scratch. She even had her own sandwich shop at one point. She played games such as canasta and bridge, belonging to several clubs. Janet was a very independent woman and was successful in the direct sales and party planning business. She worked for Sarah Coventry, having one of the most successful sales groups in the country. She later worked for Christmas Around the World and was very successful, earning a trip to Hawaii, which she dearly loved. She even had a Christmas Around the World store at Mall St. Vincent one year, which was an honor as there were only a few allowed nationwide. When her mother could no longer live alone, she brought her to Shreveport to live with her and hired the best staff to help take care of her while she continued to work. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren fiercely. Janet is preceded in death by her parents; son, Richard E. Perdue and brother, Douglas Darden. She is survived by her children, Cindy Welch and partner, Steve Smedstad, Gary Perdue and wife, Cyndi and Alan Perdue and wife, Melinda; grandchildren, Christine, Victoria, Rachael, Jessica, Brittany, Bradley, Joshua, Leanne, and Shelby; great-grandchildren, Trenton, Alexis, Carson, Leora, Landon, Grayson, Aiden, Alayna, Cameron, Kristi, Keaton, and Adeline; sister-in-law, Mary; nephew, Eric; and niece, Alice. She was on hospice for several years with severe COPD. She always participated in research studies and had donated her body to science. Sadly, COVID19 prevented LSU from accepting any donations when she passed. She was adamant that she did not want a funeral or memorial service, so the family has respected her wishes.