Janet was born September 30, 1957 in Whittier, California and passed away on March 12, 2013 in San Diego.  She was the fourth child and second daughter of Don and Dottie Windoffer.  When she was five years old, the family moved to South Pasadena.  Janet graduated from South Pasadena High School in 1975 and went on to attend Point Loma Nazarene University where she majored in Home Economics.

Married to Ron Benefiel in 1980, Janet furthered her education and earned her master's in nutrition in 1981 at Cal State University, Los Angeles.  Janet and Ron were a team together in ministry, even from the beginning while he was teaching at APU, setting up an outreach ministry.  In 1982 they were called to LA 1st and Janet made a decision not to get a full time job but to engage in the life and ministry of the church, which included becoming meal planner for Mid-Wilshire Christian Schools, along with hosting showers and parties at the parsonage.  A few years into their ministry at LA 1st, they decided to move from the parsonage to a big old Craftsman house very near the church, in a multi-ethnic neighborhood.  Janet fully embraced the idea of living in the neighborhood where they were ministering.  This decision led to more opportunities to serve both the local church body and outreach to the community.

During their time in Los Angeles, Janet and Ron were blessed with three children, Leanne (1985), Robyn (1988)), and Timothy (1990), and somehow she always managed to be both a great mom and a great pastor's wife.  In 1996 the family moved to San Diego where they started a small ministry.  In 2002 a call from Nazarene Theological Seminary resulted in a move to Kansas City.  Janet was always fully engaged in the life and ministry of the church.  She served on the board of Trinity Church of the Nazarene where she helped organize many of their ministry retreats.

Janet was a life-long learner and avid reader.  She also loved animals and was known to take in the lost cat or an orphaned squirrel or two.  She had a very big heart, and compassion for people in need.  After her diagnosis with breast cancer she chose to focus on the projects and Bible study instead of letting cancer define her.  Janet leaves her husband Ron, three children; one granddaughter; and a host of friends and family who benefited from her example of hospitality and compassionate Christianity.