Janice Kay Eckard, 85, of Cumberland, MD, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026, at Allegany Health Nursing & Rehabilitation surrounded by her children.

She was born October 27, 1940, in Fort Ashby, WV to the late Jesse and Zelene (Henderson) Chaney and later raised by the late William and Mary (Henderson) Couter of Cumberland, MD. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Chaney.

Janice graduated from Fort Hill High School in 1958 and went on to a long career at Cumberland Savings Bank, now First United Bank and Trust, until her retirement. She loved working at the bank and made many life-long friends who she loved dearly.

Janice was very creative and enjoyed crafting, painting, music, coloring, and creating beautiful things. One of her most cherished pastimes was photography, as she captured a lifetime of family memories on film. She also loved gardening, and she loved planting seedlings and nurturing them into beautiful flowers.

Above all else, Janice loved her family. She loved spending time with her sister, her late brother, her brothers- and her sisters-in-law, her children and grandchildren, and her many nieces and nephews. Surviving are her children, Paige (Eckard) Mitchell and husband Shane, and Christopher Blake Eckard; their father, Donald Eckard; her sister, Bonnie Murphy; her grandchildren, Jeremy Rogers, Joshua Mitchell (Kaylie), Rebekah Mitchell, and Sarah Mitchell (Zoe); her extended family, and many friends.

Visitation will be Saturday, May 9th from 11:00am to 1:00pm at Scarpelli Funeral Home, P.A. 108 Virginia Ave, Cumberland; a funeral service will immediately follow beginning at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. Harold McClay officiating. In accordance with her wishes, she was cremated, and inurnment will be at Fort Ashby Cemetery immediately following the funeral service.

The family asks that memorial contributions be directed to Janice's favorite charities. To celebrate her breast cancer survival, she avidly supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation (https://www.komen.org/how-to-help/donate/) to help find a cure. To support the health and lives of children, she was a long-term supporter of St. Jude Children's Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate).