Janet Tabor Henson

Janet Tabor Reames Henson

Beloved “Ganga”

September 25, 1947 – July 8, 2026

With hearts full of love and gratitude, we celebrate the extraordinary life of Janet Tabor Reames Henson — known simply and tenderly as “Ganga” to those who held her dearest. She was a woman of warmth, grace, and boundless spirit whose love was as vast as the Rocky Mountains she so cherished and as deep as the ocean waters she dove beneath. She left this world as she lived in it — adored.

Early Life

Jan was born on September 25, 1947, in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in the warmth of Ben Hill, Georgia. She grew up alongside her devoted older brother, Walter “Chip” Reames, and her beloved younger sister, Susie Messman. The bonds formed in that Georgia home shaped the fierce, tender loyalty that would define her for the rest of her life.

At Therrell High School, Jan shone brightly — a cheerleader whose spirit and radiance lit up every room she entered. It was there, among the Friday night crowds and the laughter of youth, that she fell in love with her high school sweetheart, Barry Bartlett. The two married in 1965, beginning a chapter of life that would bring their greatest treasures: two remarkable sons.

A Life Built on Love

Jan was the proud mother of Michael Barry Bartlett, age 60, and Britton Ashleigh Bartlett, age 55 — two sons she poured herself into with every ounce of her remarkable heart. In 1982, she married David Scott Henson, who brought into her life a cherished stepdaughter, Laura Kathryn (Henson) Van Driem, age 46. Jan embraced Laura without hesitation, loving her as fully and fiercely as her own.

It was in the role of grandmother — as “Ganga” — that Jan perhaps found her most perfect expression of love. Eight grandchildren were blessed by her presence: Henson Bartlett (27), Quinn Bartlett (18), Beck Bartlett (17), Barrett Heatherly (15), Kit Van Driem (13), Giselle Bartlett (11), Sorsha Van Driem (10), and Duncan Van Driem (8). To each of them, she was magic — the grandmother who made every moment feel like home.

A Life Well Lived

Life with Scott was an adventure lived across the most beautiful corners of America. Jan made homes — true homes, filled with love and warmth — in Peachtree City, Georgia; Indian Head, Maryland; Barbers Point, Hawaii; Charleston, South Carolina; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and finally, the sun-drenched shores of Inlet Beach, Florida. Wherever she landed, she bloomed.

Jan was a woman who said yes to life. An accomplished equestrian, she rode with a grace and confidence that mirrored her own spirit. She dove beneath the surface of tropical seas as a scuba diver, skied the sparkling slopes of Colorado’s mountains, carved across glittering waters on skis, and lost herself in the wild beauty of the Rockies on camping and hiking trips. She loved animals with a tenderness that spoke volumes about her generous soul.

In her kitchen and in her home, Jan was nothing short of extraordinary. A fabulous cook and gifted homemaker, she created spaces and meals that drew people together, where laughter ran long and love was served at every table. Her friends knew her as devoted and steadfast — the kind of friend who showed up, who remembered, who cared without condition. As a wife, she was a true partner — loving, present, and whole.

Faith & Community

Jan was an active and beloved member of Point Washington United Methodist Church in Point Washington, Florida, where her faith was not merely practiced but lived — in her kindness, her service, and her unwavering belief in the goodness of people.

She leaves behind a world made more beautiful for having been in it —

and a family whose hearts will carry her forward, always.

Ganga — forever loved, forever missed, forever ours.