We Remember

BENCZE, Janice Elaine
May 3, 1964 — October 22, 2024
Janice Elaine Bencze, born May 3, 1964, passed away on October 22, 2024.
Daughter of Peter Bencze and Vera Bencze, Janice was the fourth child in the family of seven raised in Lestock, Saskatchewan. Surrounded by five brothers and one sister, she grew up strong, active, and resilient. Janice was an all-star athlete, playing softball, volleyball, curling, and track throughout her teen years. After moving to Regina with her mother and younger brothers for her final year of school, Janice trained in the Navy. Later, she completed a degree in criminology at Simon Fraser University, working any and all jobs to fund her education. Her degree led to 25 years of service as a constable in the Vancouver Police Department.
Respectfully and reverently known to the inhabitants of Vancouver’s downtown East Side as “The Dragon Lady,” Janice dedicated herself to understanding her community. She empowered those less fortunate with dignity and empathetic humanity. Janice did not tolerate biases, prejudices, or disrespect directed to the members of this community. Janice never spoke about her work, staying quiet in order to protect and aid women in unsafe situations. Her dedication and care for the people in her community, along with the volunteer work she pursued, earned Janice two rare awards from the Police Superintendent. Janice is missed and honoured by her past squad members, and the people she worked with.
Janice was devoted to her family and friends. With her dazzling smile, bubbling laughter, and wit, Janice won the hearts of anyone she met. She loved travelling, especially exploring South America, which led to her love of Spanish music. Her athleticism lent well to keeping up with her nieces, Emerson and Madeleine, as they grew up. Janice said yes to whatever was requested, from a game of pool volleyball, rounds of badminton, or holding a chicken while on a swing. Janice’s love was evident in her actions, creating strong, lasting connections.
In 2018, Janice was diagnosed with a rare, neurologically degenerative disease called Huntington’s. This genetic disease, no matter how early it is caught, is fatal, and research on it is still new. Despite the toll this disease took on Janice’s mobility, speech, dignity, and quality of life, she remained playful, intensely independent, and caring. Her smile lit up any room, even in her final days. As her brother Glenn often remarked, “She is the best of us.”
Janice is survived by her five brothers: Mark, Roy, Glenn, Patrick, and Chris (Danica); her sister, Maureen; and her nieces, Emerson and Madeleine Rogers. Her loss is grieved profoundly by all who loved and knew her.
A celebration of her life will be held on SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2025, AT 1:00 PM, located at HMCS Queen, 100 100 Navy Way, in Regina, Saskatchewan, in a joint celebration with her mother Vera.
If you are unable to attend and would like to honour her legacy, please consider donating to the Huntington Society of Canada or to your local women’s shelter, to help carry on the autonomy, dignity, and grace that Janice fought so hard to ensure for herself and for others.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area call “Condolences”.
Service
Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM
Location
HMCS Queen
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Service Information
Service Details
The service for BENCZE, Janice Elaine is scheduled for Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
What an amazing tribute to an amazing woman. I had always admired Janice during our elementary and high school days. She was a kind person and I felt close to her. I was sad that she left Lestock in her final year of high school. I also admired her bravery as a police officer and thought about her a lot. Rest in peace, Janice. My sympathies to her siblings and niece and nephew. Take care
My condolences to all the foly
Heartfelt condolences from John and Dorothy Sentes also Lorretta and Larry Bashutski
Our heartfelt condolences to Janice’s family
Our deepest condolences to you and your entire family on the passing of your sister Janice.
May she rest in peace
Greg, Dianne & Linda Brkich
Rest in peace Janice. Thinking of you and all of your family and sending you all love and healing energy. I’m so glad I was able to spend some time with Janice and Moe last summer!
I worked alongside Janice Policing Vancouver’s Skid Row. She was on a different squad than me, but we were on the same rotation, so I would bump into her often, and we attended many of the same calls. While I can’t say I knew her well, my observations of her made an impact on me.
It was (and still is) a very rough and violent neighbourhood – the worst in the City by far. I can say that I was always struck by Janice’s compassion and empathy when dealing with people who were really pretty unpleasant to deal with, and with seemingly few redeeming qualities. Much easier to tell them to shut up (or worse) as we all did from time to time. I never saw Janice do that, she was the consummate professional we should all aspire to. I know that women especially would sense this and gravitate to Janice, often they’d speak only to her. Janice would work dilligently for them, this generated some rare street-level trust that most Police Officers could simply never earn.
As careers develop, and people transfer around, we lose touch with people we once worked with daily. I saw Janice a few times still contributing as she could from ‘inside’ jobs at Headquarters. Although I knew something was ‘wrong’ I did not know any details until I learned of her terrible disease after she’d passed away.
I hope the family can take comfort in my observations of Janice at work many years ago. Know that your Daughter/Sister/Aunt did well! She was professional, dedicated and genuine when not all of us were. Such a shining example of a Police Officer!
Rest in peace and run free Janice.
Ron
Janice is a piece of my life that made me a greater person. I love you so much! I thank you for being the wonderful woman you are!! I will never forget you and our adventures!! Love always
I knew Janice when I was homeless and not doing well in the DTES. I was arrested numerous times (by Janice). When she would see me on the street, she would always make sure I was ok. I appreciated that. And yes, she was very well known as ‘dragon lady’. Everyone knew her. I knew she had Huntington’s and I eventually got better and left Vancouver. I still thought of her often and oddly had a sense to google her name . Now I know she passed on.
Her energy is still around, as something told me to check on how she was doing.
Xo