Janis Depka

Obituary of Janis Irene Depka

Janis Irene Depka, age 84, was called home on January 18, 2023.  She is survived by her daughter, Laura  Depka, her brothers, James “Jim” Fick (Dorothy) and Clarence Fick, sister-in-law, Mary Gorgichuk, cousins, Harvey and Doug Fick, numerous nieces and nephews, and her beloved birds Foxy, Sir Lady Bird, Kiwi and Sammy, and her grand dogs, Pudge, Bella Bootie and Merkie.

Janis is preceded in death by her husband and soulmate, Eugene “Dep”  Depka and her parents, William and May Fick.

Janis was born on November 26th, 1938 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.  She received her RN degree in September, 1960 from the Yorkton Union Hospital.    Her 41 year nursing career included the maternity ward at the Melville Hospital and the Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada until the late 1960’s.  In 1970, Janis, Dep and Laura moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she began a new nursing career in a private psychiatric hospital.   After six years, Janis left the hospital and began her real calling in community psychiatry with Maricopa County providing supportive psychiatric care and nursing management to  the serious mentally ill.   In 1978, she established the first Family Support Group in Arizona which provided well needed support, counseling, and education to families of the seriously mentally ill, and she continued establishing and facilitating additional support groups throughout Maricopa County.  These Groups are still active today.

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Saturday
11
February

Memorial Service

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Meldrum Mortuary
52 N. Macdonald
Mesa, Arizona, United States
480-834-9255
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