Janet Ashley was born to Joseph and Ella Harpole on April 20, 1940 in Minneapolis, MN. She was the 5th child of a family of eight children. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, older sisters Maxine Harpole Frazier, Joanne Bradley, older brothers Charles Harpole, Ellsworth Harpole and younger brothers Joseph Jr and Bruce who died while an infant. 

She was named Janet Oleta Harpole at birth and later changed her name to Janet Ashley Anderson. As a little girl Janet frequently complained to her mother about the plainness of her name "Janet" and periodically through the years expressed a preference for a more interesting name. On April 6, 1987 she chose the name- Ashley. Out of respect for her mother's original choice, she maintained her given name changing only her middle name. Her friends and family readily adapted to the change. She happily answered to Janet, J. Ashley, or Ashley. She said when asked what name she preferred to be called she responded "which ever one you feel comfortable in using, I answer to all, I've been known as Janet too long to insist on a change as old as I am."

Janet graduated from the "Old South High" in Minneapolis Minnesota, The College of saint Catherine's in St. Paul, Minnesota with a bachelors' degree in Occupational Therapy, completed a Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Minnesota and completed considerable coursework beyond the masters level in Administration of Education. During her long professional career Janet worked as an occupational therapist for St. Paul Public Schools and Mount Sinai Hospital. She worked in the early eighties developing and implementing services for men, women, and children entrapped in violent relationships-domestic violence. As a psychotherapist Janet served clients which generally in the seventies and eighties were undeserved- women and families of color. She spent 5 years sharing her considerable skills with community agency- Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. She felt strongly the value of giving back to your community. The years spent at Phyllis Wheatley were used in developing meaningful programs for families on the near Northside which at that time was primarily struggling Black families. It was while at Phyllis Wheatley that she and her colleague Gladys Randle developed the Education for Cooperative Living (ECL) which provided counseling services for individuals and families engaged in domestic violence. ECL was one of the first two programs addressing this issue in Minnesota. Janet returned to St. Paul Public Schools in 1985 as the supervisor of Social, Psychological and Related Services for the district. In 1986 she was assigned to Harding High School for 4 years as an assistant principal, 1 year at Central High and 6 years at Adolescent Girls and Parenting Education (AGAPE) as the site administrator. Throughout her career Janet made special effort ins haring her wealth of experience and skills with others. She served on several community boards/advisories- MN Correctional Advisory on Domestic Violence; MN Institute on Black Chemical Abuse; Neighborhood Community Center; Black, Indian, Hispanic, Asian Women Working Against Family Violence (BIHA). She took an early retirement from St. Paul Public Schools in May of 2003 to use her many interest in gardening, cooking and decorating to operate her own Bed & Breakfast- The Village Inn in Stone Mountain, Georgia. 

Janet Ashley is survived by her two sons, Kevin Anderson of Las Vegas, Minnesota and Marc Anderson of Pikesville, Maryland. Her granddaughter Kenyari Wright and her family Damarlin and Xavier Wright. Her sister Anita Harpole Sharpe of California and her many nieces and nephews- The Frazier Children of New York, The Bradley Children of Georgia and California, The Patricia Harpole Children of Alaska, The Charles Harpole children of Minnesota and Michigan, her adopted family Emabet Alemu and children and her close friends and respected colleagues.