Obituary of Janis Farrin West

Janis Farrin Parshall West

May 21, 1947 – January 27, 2022

An avid adventurer, Janis’s wonderful spirit has left this earth.  A much-loved mother, grandmother, sister, cousin, and friend to many, lived an interesting and active life.

A true lover of all nature and the outdoors she was an avid gardener, loved being in any body of water, camped and backpacked in Hawaii, Mount Rainier in Washington, Mount Shasta, along with many places throughout the Sierras with Yosemite being her favorite of all. Her love of the water led her to be a renowned private swim instructor in Santa Cruz County for many decades.

After her children were grown, she finished college at San Jose State; completing her professional degree for aquatic teachings in Physical Adaptive Education. Janis was employed for many years teaching water exercise with the Silver Dolphins Swim Club, Spa Fitness, Simpkins, and many other places in Santa Cruz.  She was a professional masseuse and had graduated from Twin Lakes College (Heartwood Institute) where she was founder of the original Heartwood Holistic Health Institute.

In the 1970’s Janis briefly lived in Oaxaca, Mexico with her husband Randy West and her children Dawn and Zach.  They settled in Santa Cruz where they had a successful business. “! Que Pasa!” on Pacific Avenue in downtown. After Randy’s tragic death, Janis devoted herself to her children, raising them in Bonny Doon.

Janis is survived by her children Dawn Khatami (Kayvan) and Zach West (Bianca), her grandchildren: Kian and Cadence Khatami, and her loving sisters Patricia Olmsted, Jean Jackson, and Nancy Cheney.  Her parents, Hugh and Patricia Parshall, brother and sister, Hugh Parshall III, and Paula Enders, and her beloved husbands, Donald Pease and Randall West, precede her in death.  A celebration of her life will be in June.