Janice Rometa Deyo Saunders, 80 of Upper Marlboro, Maryland quietly passed away and peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2026.

She was born April 1, 1945, in Sparta, Virginia (Caroline County), the third daughter of the late Christell Pierce Deyo and Jessie Lee Deyo. She was preceded in death by two brothers: Jessie Arthur Deyo and Michael B. Pierce. Janice was baptized at an early age and became a member of Jerusalem Baptist Church, where she worshipped continuously as a member.

Upon her completion and graduation from Union High School, Class of 1963, she began her entrance into Temple Business School and received her Certification of Completion. Janice married Austin Saunders in 1967, and to this union was born her beloved daughter, LaFevre.

She later found enduring companionship with Roland L. Allen, with whom she shared a loving and deep bond, and who preceded her in death last year. She has lived a full and meaningful life, marked by the extreme and loving dedication to her family, friends, and her various workplace associates during her long-standing professional workforce career at Caroline County's Department of Recreation/Agriculture, as well as Verizon Telephone Company, from which she retired, and Pearson Professional Testing Centers, which totaled over fifty years of working.

Janice is survived by her loving daughter, LaFevre Renee Young; devoted son-in-law, Ronald Young, who ensured, without hesitation, being consistent and unwavering in compassion during her needs for caregiving; her grandson, McKye Young, whom she has cherished all of his life; beloved daughter's step-children, whom she embraced as her bonus granddaughters: Danielle, Eboni (Dave), Tiffany, and Raven; eleven bonus great-grandchildren, along with one bonus great-great-grandchild; her three devoted sisters: Edwina Deyo Woolfolk, Brenda Deyo Smith, and Cecelia Deyo-Fox, with whom she shared extremely close and loving bonds; and her brother, Steffon Deyo (Cheryl), whom "she spoiled" and shared the same loving bonds; brothers-in-law: Irving Woolfolk, Sr., and George Smith; sisters-in-law: Beverly R. Pierce and Paula W. Deyo; her twin nieces, Mia and Kia Deyo, whom she helped in raising from their day of birth throughout all of their "growing up" and "adult" years. They, in turn, remained steadfast in dedicating themselves to a deep privilege and commitment to take care of her, with a labor of love, throughout these past years of her challenging medical condition and trials; her god-children: Jasmine Browner and Sean Parler; extremely numerous nieces and nephews, who were dearly loved by her, as well as great nieces and nephews; and they all immensely loved and cherished "Auntie"; She shared a particularly special bond with her eldest niece, Kim Samuel, lovingly known as "My Kimmy," who spent much of her childhood with Janice and her siblings and remained close to her throughout her life; her long-time friends: Sarah Holston, Betty Armwood, Betty Vinson, Mary McShane, Rachel Sorensen, Brenda Williams, Nettie Rivera, Betty Mobely, Burnett Turner, and Geneva Johnson Thompson; her loving family of cousins from afar and near!

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Jerusalem Baptist Church, 21180 Bagby Road, Sparta Virginia 22552 with a viewing one hour prior to the service.  Interment will follow in church cemetery.

Services of comfort entrusted to: C.W. Edwards Funeral Home, Inc. of Bowling Green, Virginia
A. Stevie Adams, Funeral Service Licensee