Mary Jane "Janey" (Langley) Chandler

Mary Jane “Janey” Langley Chandler passed away peacefully on January 26, 2021. She was 77.

Janey was a single mother of two boys. She moved with her boys from the Dallas area to Amarillo in 1983. Janey lived in Amarillo for more than 34 years, the longest she ever called one place home. Twenty five years of her nursing career were at St. Anthony’s and Baptist St. Anthony’s.

Janey was born in 1943 in Chelsea, OK to Woodrow and Marguerite Langley, the second of four children. Her family moved frequently. She attended eight schools throughout her childhood, creating a tight bond with her family and a love for long, comforting car rides with family on the open road. She made friends easily wherever she went. When she was three, Janey was given a nursing kit as a gift. Janey took this gift very seriously, providing care to the entire family, including her beloved dog, Sammy. This gift later defined a long career as a nurse.

Janey grew up participating in church activities at least 3 times weekly and professed her faith in Jesus Christ at the age of six. She had an unwavering faith and was an active member of various churches beginning with First Baptist Church in Cushing, OK. She loved being near family and was the center of all family connections with her siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews, as she always kept in touch with everyone.

Janey studied nursing at Harris Hospital in Fort Worth, graduating in 1965. This launched a 40+ year nursing career in various settings like ER, surgical, post-surgery, and intensive care. She routinely worked 12-hour shifts and rotated being on-call. She loved being a nurse. She often talked about her workdays with love and humor. She also shared the difficult days. On days she lost a patient, she would sometimes describe feeling the presence of angels surrounding them just before they passed.

Even through the long work hours, Janey participated in activities at her sons’ school including the Parent Teacher Association. And Janey always had home improvement projects in progress, constantly updating and beautifying the home she loved. She was the queen of DIY projects.

Janey was a person of many loves:

She fiercely loved her sons.

She absolutely adored her four grandchildren, and all were delighted to have such a fun, loving, and funny grandmother.

She loved her siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She loved caring for people.

She loved sending funny birthday cards and sweet Christmas cards.

She loved funny movies.

She loved laughing loudly, even at inappropriate times.

She loved Diet Coke.

She loved the color blue.

She loved cheering for the Dallas Cowboys. She was a very vocal fan.

She loved telling stories.

Janey was a strong woman of faith, independence, integrity, love, and humor. She was a great storyteller: No one could tell a story like Janey. Anyone who met Janey instantly felt at ease and accepted for who they were, and she could always make them laugh.

Janey is survived by son Charlie Chandler, spouse Laura, and children Nola and Lucy; son Dustin Chandler and children Lillian and Emmett; sister Polly Hyatt and children Marianne Hyatt, Alice Lubbe (spouse Kevin, children Travis [child Jenna] and Parker), and Jo Beth Collier and child Nicholas; sister Sally Adcock, spouse Lee, and children Jon (spouse Stephanie and children Kate, Maggie, Sarah, and Libby) and Trey (spouse Andrea Martinez and children Mateo and Wahya); and brother Michael Langley, spouse Jacque, and children Dakota, Dylan (spouse Jennifer and children Quinn and Jonah), and Morgan (spouse Claudia).

Please celebrate her life by sharing a wonderful story about Janey with others, toasting a glass of Diet Coke in her honor, playing Fats Domino’s "I’m Walkin’", laughing loudly while watching a funny movie, cheering loudly for your sports team, singing "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds", saying a prayer for someone in need, or sending a card to a loved one.

An online memorial is planned for Saturday, February 13 at 11 AM CST. Contact her son Charlie Chandler for details. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Janey to the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences or to the Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund.

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