Janice Ann (Duff) Cummins

Janice Ann (Duff) Cummins, 78, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, died peacefully on January 20, 2026.

Janice was born in Stroud Oklahoma on October 31, 1947, and was adopted by William Duff and Allie (Murphy) Duff

Jan began her working career while still in high school in the DECA club. She worked part-time as a proofreader for the Shawnee News-Star. She graduated from Shawnee high school in 1965 and went on to become a secretary for Robert Jones Law Firm. After that she was the receptionist for the executives at the Shawnee Milling Company. Jan had become an expert in dictation shorthand, a skill that no longer exists today. Later she went on to work in the office for Schlumberger Oilfield Company. She worked in many other places throughout her life but ultimately ended up at First American Title Company from 1999-2015 until she retired.

Although she had “retired” she wasn’t ready to fully retire & stay at home, so she decided to get a job at the Grand Casino as a housekeeper. She wanted to do something she had never done before, so housekeeping was it! She finally fully retired from there in 2018.

Jan loved to spend time with her family. Any get together that was happening she wanted to be a part of. Whether it was going to a local farm to pick fresh flowers or taking the grandbabies to a pumpkin patch she wanted to be there. Some of her most favorite things to do were to go to the annual Affair of the Heart and go on a family road trip or vacation. She loved root beer floats, watermelon, picking peaches, going to the movie theater, riding the tilt-a-whirl anytime a carnival was in town, the beach (ANY BEACH!), pina coladas & catfish. The list is endless really.

Halloween was her favorite holiday! Mostly because it was her birthday but also because she just loved the spooky season. She loved to watch scary movies and to scare her girls when they weren’t paying attention. She always got a kick out of that. For most of her life she dressed up every year in a different costume, and she would go trick-or-treating with grandkids. She looked forward to that the most.

Jan was known for her cowboy stew, cherry cheese pies, cornbread dressing, sausage balls and so many others. She loved to cook for her family. And anyone who knew her knew that she loved to collect any recipes that sounded good.

She always used humor and laughter to get her through the hard times or scary times in life, and she definitely passed that onto her two girls as well. Jan will be remembered for her love and laughter. It will live on in our hearts forever. She may be gone but she is never forgotten.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother; Willian and Allie Duff; sisters, Alice "June" Baily, Betty Hanby, and Patrica Kirkland.

She is survived by her two daughters, Allison Cummins and Lori Harper. Lori’s husband, Billy Harper and grandson Cameron Coddington, granddaughter Brittany Gregg, her husband Blake Gregg and great grandson Ethan Gregg; four sisters and two brothers, Donna Geiger, Jeana Cooksey, James Montgomery, Vicki Lewis, Brenda Carter and Jerry "Bud" Duff. Along with countless nieces and nephews who loved her like their own mother.

A celebration of life will take place on a future date. Announcement to come later.