Janice Kay Kell

Janice Kay Kell, 78, passed away on Sunday, July 20th at LyonsView Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on September 12th, 1946, to the late Roy Max and Dorothy Carmanetta Lowe in Casper, Wyoming. She has degrees from Casper Junior College, the University of Wyoming, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee School of Law. She taught science at Suitland Senior High School and Gwynn Park High School in Maryland; and at Pecos Junior High School in Northglenn, Colorado. She worked in energy education at the Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and in all of East Tennessee training secondary school teachers in energy education. Following law school graduation, she clerked for Judge Joe Duncan on the Court of Criminal Appeals in Tennessee. Subsequently, she worked as an Assistant United States District Attorney in the Knoxville, Tennessee Office. After that she practiced criminal defense law associated with Attorney Ralph Harwell. For the last number years of her legal career, she served as a permanent law clerk United States Federal District Judge, Leon Jordan, in Knoxville, Tennessee, until her retirement in 2010. She was member of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension and served in various roles at the church, including singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, assisting the office staffing, providing church banners for baptisms, serving on the Vestry and on discernment committees, serving as a Stephen Minister, leading the needlepoint altar cushions project, and co-chairing the church’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2007. Janice was a true friend to many, and loved her family, country, church, theater, symphony, needlework, Lady Vols Basketball, and social gatherings. She was preceded in death by her parents, and brother, Greg Lowe. She is survived by Greg’s family, by her husband of nearly 50 years, Robert A. (Robin) Kell, and his family. A celebration of her life and her interment in the columbarium will occur on Saturday, August 16th, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, 800 South Northshore Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919 (865-588-0589) and will be live-streamed from the church via: https://vimeo.com/event/1911938. The video of the service will also be found: at: https://www.facebook.com/episcopalchurchoftheascension at: https://www.youtube.com/@ascensioncast5150 at: https://www.knoxvilleascension.org/ - then and selecting Livestream. The family will receive friends at a reception in the church parish hall following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in honor of Janice K. Kell to the Episcopal Church of the Ascension or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Condolences may be made at www.rosemortuary.com.

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Janice Kay Kell

September 12, 1946 - July 20, 2025