Janet Carroll Gordon, long-time Southern Utah resident and political activist, particularly on downwind radiation issues, died Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, in St. George, Utah. Janet was born on May 24th, 1939, in Kanab, Utah. She was the fourth of five children born to Henry and Velma Carroll, of Orderville, Utah. Janet was preceded in death by her parents as well as older brothers Norman Henry Carroll, of Orderville, Utah; Kent Frederick Carroll, of Orderville, Utah; and her sister Mary Lou (Carroll) Melling, of Cedar City, Utah. She is survived by her younger sister Madolyn (Carroll) Bills, of Salina, Utah.
Janet graduated high school in 1957, and was that year crowned Miss Kane County. She married James Denzel Holt, in 1958, and they had three children: James Bradley Holt, Patricia (Gordon) Dominguez, and Kent Carroll Gordon. In 1963 Janet and James Holt were divorced. Janet married Lloyd Gordon of Cedar City, Utah, in 1965. During this period, Janet began her activism by joining the League of Women Voters, and becoming active in the Iron County Democratic Party. She and Lloyd were also very active in environmental issues.
Janet became particularly interested in downwind radiation issues after attending a conference at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, in 1979. She and her sister Mary Lou realized that the death of their brother Kent, in 1961, was very likely due to his exposure to radioactive fallout from testing at the Nevada Test Site. She subsequently devoted the rest of her life to this important issue, co-founding and serving as Director of Citizens Call, a downwind advocacy, educational and political organization. Janet was put in charge of the both the 1980 & 1990 census’ for Southern Utah locations. In 1980 she also joined with a group of Atomic Veterans, and environmental activists to form the National Committee for Radiation Victims, of which she was named to the Chair position. She was asked to testify before Senator Orrin Hatch’s senate committee, during his early efforts to draft and pass a Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This was the first of many times that she testified on this and related issues. RECA was eventually passed and signed into law in 1990.
In 1983, Janet appeared on the Phil Donohue show, talking about downwind issues to national audiences. She spent the next few decades lobbying and testifying in congress and working with representatives in both congressional houses to contribute to drafted legislation; flying all over the world, to publicize and help gain international support for this issue. In 1980, she began organizing yearly vigils in Utah, every January 27th, to protest nuclear testing and to call for a comprehensive test ban treaty. In 1985 she was invited to Japan for her first time, to speak at the 40th Annual Hiroshima & Nagasaki Commemorations. Over the years, she served as a delegate and speaker at eight different annual commemorations in Hiroshima & Nagasaki, helping to send other local Downwinders to participate there, as well, over additional years. Specifically, Janet testified against the dangers of nuclear power and nuclear arms development at United Nations meetings in Copenhagen and Geneva. She spoke at worldwide conferences in Moscow, Minsk, Kazakhstan, Berlin, London, Stockholm, and Tokyo.
This farm girl from Orderville, Utah ended up shaking the pillars of congress, and her testimony, her incredible people-skills and tireless dedication to publicizing these issues, were instrumental in the eventual passage of the RECA legislation. Janet leaves a powerful and lasting legacy behind her.
A memorial gathering will be held at Bella Terra Care Center, 178 S. 1200 E., St George, Utah, on March 7th, 2025, with visitation beginning at 6:30 PM. Services will be held on Saturday, March 8th, with visitation at 10:00 AM, and Funeral at 11:00 AM, at Serenity Funeral Home, 1316 S. 400 E., St George, Utah. An additional memorial gathering will be held in Cedar City, Utah on Saturday, March 8th, at 4:00 PM, at the Kolob Gallery, 111 S. Main Street. Subsequent graveside services and internment will take place at the Cedar City Cemetery.