Janice Marie Guidroz Mathews

Janice Marie Guidroz Mathews, 80, of Orange, Texas, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026, at home.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, January 8, 2026 at St. Henry Catholic Church in Bridge City, Tx. Officiating will be Father Michael Strother. Burial ceremony will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Orange, Tx.

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, on September 20, 1945, Janice was the daughter of Ferris Paul Guidroz and Helen (Bienvenue) Guidroz. She grew up in Groves and later moved to Bridge City, where she graduated, married, and started her family with her husband, Jackie Lee Mathews. Janice was a "one in a million mama", and her daughters adored her. She always put her girls first, ensuring they knew they were loved unconditionally, and she took great pride in making every holiday and birthday feel magical.

Janice enjoyed a fulfilling career as an operator at Vista Chemical Co. in Westlake, La. A hard-working woman and "one tough cookie", she more than held her own working in a male-dominated field. She worked tirelessly to provide for her daughters and was proud to retire at the age of 50.

In her retirement, she joyfully embraced her role as "maw-maw", showering her grandchildren with love and devotion. Janice loved her family deeply, and she often expressed that love through her incredible cooking. Her skills in the kitchen were legendary, and her family was truly blessed to be fed by her. Janice had a green thumb, and she was often found among her beautiful plants. She could grow anything! Her compassion extended to animals as well; she cared for many pets throughout her life and loved them all as members of the family, including her surviving dog, Samson.

To know Janice was to love her. She was a loyal friend and confidant; she was so easy to talk to. She was funny, expressive, and never held back when asked for advice-and sometimes, she shared her passionate wisdom even when it wasn't asked for. As the center of her family, she was deeply respected and loved. Though God took her life journey down many paths, her heart remained anchored to the family she first built with Jackie Mathews. She will be remembered fondly by all who knew her, leaving behind cherished memories of a life well-lived.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Ferris Guidroz and Helen Bienvenue.

She is survived by her daughters, Michelle A. Mathews Counts and husband Bobby, Danielle L. Mathews; grandchildren, Gage Counts, Carly Daspit and husband Andrew, and Landon Sweet; great grandchildren, Noah A. Daspit and Jack D. Daspit.

Serving as pallbearers will be Bobby Counts, Gage Counts, Andrew Daspit, Jason Wall, Christian Wall, Leland Globke. Honorary pallbearers are Landon Sweet, Noah Daspit, Jack Daspit.