Mrs. Stanton was the wife of our late Brother Dr. Rufus H. Stanton, and the mother of our Brother, Bobby Stanton.
GALVESTON — Janice Dhaye Splane Stanton, 93, went home to be with Lord on March 17, 2022, in Galveston, Texas.
Mrs. Stanton was born June 26, 1928, in Beaumont, Texas, to Myrtle Trimble Splane and Joseph Dewey Splane. She was the fourth of eight children. Nurtured by her parents and Godparents, Dan and Nettie Gill who lived next door, she thrived in a loving community of friends and neighbors.
Her Godmother, a schoolteacher, took her to school with her at age 3. She was a quick learner, was promoted, then skipped other grades, and graduated from Charlton-Pollard High School in Beaumont, Texas, at age 13. Janice entered Wiley College at age 14, where she met and subsequently married Rufus H. “Billy” Stanton, a prominent Galveston dentist. They were married for 61 years when he died in 2004.
Among her many accomplishments, Mrs. Stanton worked as secretary/registrar at Jefferson Junior College in Beaumont; was secretary to the president of Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.; managed Parkland Apartments, a 162-unit rent subsidized housing development in Galveston; and worked as a college coordinator for SER-Jobs for Progress, from which she retired.
Mrs. Stanton’s desire to contribute to the Galveston community began when she moved to Galveston in the early 1950s before the Civil Rights Movement began. It was a time when Black citizens were faced with injustices and inequity in every aspect of community life. She always felt that one person could make a difference and worked for the betterment of the community.
Mrs. Stanton served for 22 years as a member of the Board of Regents at Galveston College, president, Texas Association of Community College Trustees and Administrators; member, Task Force for Community College Trustee Professional Development — Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; member, City of Galveston Planning Commission; member, The Children’s Center Board of Directors; member, Community Advisory Board, UTMB Children’s Hospital; member, Board of Counselors, St. Mary’s Hospital; member, Grievance Committee, State Bar of Texas District 5; member, Gulf Coast Regional MHMR Center; member, GISD Educational Foundation and several committees for GISD, including the first integration planning committee; Board member, The Salvation Army; St. Vincent’s House; and United Way of Galveston.
Honors include Steel Oleander Award from the Galveston Historical Foundation; Outstanding Citizen of the Year by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; NAACP Image Award; Woman of the Year, Reedy Chapel AME Church; and “Who’s Who Among Black Americans.”
Mrs. Stanton was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Rufus H. “Billy” Stanton Jr.; siblings Marnell, Joseph, Danny, Weber, Bob, Will Euel, and half-brother Albert Charles Furlow.
She is survived by her children Rufus H. Stanton III and wife, Virginia Stanton; Deborah Stanton Burke and husband, William Burke III; Robert T. Stanton II and friend, Sherrill Hilton; grandchildren Dr. Jahna Stanton Anyanwu, Jared Stanton, William Burke IV, Dr. Rebecca Burke and husband, Jason Williams; Stanton Burke and wife, Jordan; Matthew Burke and fiancé Jessica Corley; great-grandchildren Amara Anyanwu, Hailey Madison Williams and Stanton Ellington Burke; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services for Janice Stanton will be held Saturday, April 2, 2022, with a viewing at 10AM, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:00 AM, at Moody Methodist Church, 2803 53rd St. in Galveston. All attendees must wear a mask. Burial will take place at Forest Park East Cemetery, 21620 Gulf Freeway in Webster, after the Celebration of Life. Memorials may be sent to The Janice Stanton Scholarship Fund at Galveston College. For more information, call 409-944-4242.