Denver native Janet Mordecai passed away on March 9, 2022. She was 79, less than a month from her 80th birthday. A service was held March 14 at Fairmount Cemetery, officiated by her son, Adam Mordecai. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Mrs. Mordecai was born on March 29, 1942. She attended Englewood High School and CU, where she received her BA in nursing. She started her career working with reproductive health programs in rural Colorado, helping women in impoverished communities with family planning.
In 1974 Mrs. Mordecai married Dan Mordecai; they remained a couple until Mr. Mordecai’s passing in 2002.
Health care for others remained a constant in Mrs. Mordecai’s life. She was an emergency room nurse at Denver General Hospital. Following her husband’s death, Mrs. Mordecai established the Daniel and Janet Mordecai Foundation, funding cancer research and supporting future nurses, leading to the support of grants for the fight against pancreatic cancer and hospice research.
In the midst of her continued philanthropic efforts, Mrs. Mordecai received the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor. She was also honored by the Denver Botanical Gardens after establishing the Mordecai Children’s Garden, an exploratory and interactive playland for kids to embrace their love of ecosystems and the environment.
“She made sure to hinder cancer’s ability to harm more families,” her family said. “She saved lives. In hospitals, on medical ships, in rural communities, and in her own community.”
Among other notable acts of giving, Mrs. Mordecai funded DNA research for the Innocence Project, leading to the exoneration of three men from death row.
Survivors include sons Adam (Heather) Mordecai and Ryan (Alison Mendenhall) Mordecai, stepdaughters Julie Mordecai and Betsy (Gareth) Heyman; and seven grandchildren.
Mrs. Mordecai was an avid Denver Nuggets fan; those in attendance at the private burial all wore Nuggets apparel.
There will be a celebration of life on June 5 at the Children’s Garden at the Denver Botanical Garden.
Contributions may be made to The Denver Hospice, Roundup River Ranch, Pancreatic Cancer Society, the Innocence Project, Jewish Family Service of Colorado and La Puente.
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