Janis Marie Bovay Clement, age 93 of Grayson, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Oct. 16, with family by her side. She was born July 3, 1930 in Vicksburg, MS to Glenn and Anna Belle Bovay. Janis was born and raised in Vicksburg and graduated from Carr Central High School.

She attended the University of Southern Mississippi and received a Bachelor of Music degree.

As the first president of the Kappa Delta Sorority, Janis maintained a lifelong pride in the organization. She also felt a lifelong connection to the Mississippi River having grown up on its banks.

After college, Janis married Robert “Bob” Clement on August 19, 1951. They began their married life in Morehead, MS where Janis taught elementary music.

She loved music and had a beautiful soprano voice. She also loved to play the piano, a passion she tried futilely to pass on to her otherwise musical children.

For her whole adult life, she proudly told the story that at age 18, she won a local contest and represented the state of Mississippi as “Miss Radio Queen” which earned her a trip to Miami and Havanna Cuba.

As a young couple, Janis and Bob lived in Vicksburg for a time as well as Meridian, MS and Dallas, TX until eventually settling in Atlanta, GA where they raised four children.

As Bob was a traveling salesman, Janis would always say that she had no memory of those early years raising an ever-increasing family alone in one new city after another and didn’t know how she did it. What she did manage to do was raise a family that has always gotten along and still does to this day.

Janis was a wonderful hostess, and her home was often filled with people. As a lifelong bridge player, she could always find time for a game.

She was a member of Smoke Rise Baptist Church for over 40 years and was very active in the church, singing in the choir and keeping the Sunday School records.

In her middle years, she became a real estate agent for Century 21 and Coldwell Banker. After 69 years of marriage, Janis’ husband Bob died in 2020.

She is survived by her sisters Linda Hadala and Carolyn Ulbricht, children, Jan Gary (Reed) of Lawrenceville, GA, Judy Fowler (Bobby), also of Lawrenceville, Robert Clement (Eydie) of Sunset, SC and Rick Clement (Rebecca) of Atlanta, GA. Janis leaves three grandchildren, Billy, Bryan and Shelby and two step-grandchildren Maddy and Meredith as well as five great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary of Smoke Rise Baptist, Stone Mountain, GA.

A visitation and reception will be held in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Smoke Rise Baptist Church, 5901 Hugh Howell Road, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087.