'Little Lu,' 91, had a real zest for life, fitness

Walking, flexing and otherwise exercising, Lucille "Little Lu" Janigian, 91, established herself as an on-the-move star in the Visalia Mall, walking at joglike speed and showing toned biceps.

Fitness was her forte, said daughter Joyanne Lukes, and enabled her long, healthy life. Mrs. Janigian died Sunday following strokes.

"She was my sidekick," Lukes said. "Health, fitness, family. She did aerobics five days a week, aerobic dance to music in class with an instructor."

Fitness and church led her to the man she married, the late Hagop "Budd" Janigian, at the old Fresno Roller Rink, where he managed the floor.

She showed a winning form that always impressed granddaughter Janelle Bland:

"She used to walk about 2 miles to work every day to where she and my grandfather ran the toy store."

Her morning walk to the Visalia Toy Shop on Center Street was Mrs. Janigian's warm-up for a day at work with her husband. They retired in 1983, and continued moving, although only partly by foot, to all 50 states and overseas.

"She walked so fast it was like somebody's jog," Bland said. "Her attitude toward life was the biggest thing. She was the most energetic, happy person I'll ever know."

Mrs. Janigian was born in Fresno and played on the Roosevelt High School women's basketball team before graduating. She and her husband lived in San Francisco for 12 years before returning to the San Joaquin Valley and opening the toy shop.

They were married 63 years until Hagop Janigian's death in 2001.

Mrs. Janigian became a Visalia Mall regular.

"Oh my goodness, yes," marketing manager Monique de Lemos said at the mall. She remembered Mrs. Janigian's enthusiastic participation in the mall's "walking lifestyles" program.

"Every day she saw me, she had to have a hug. I'm nearly 6 feet, and she was hardly 4 feet, waist high.

"She was a little spitfire. She kept track of everyone."

Mrs. Janigian loved to shop. Her favorite stops included Luis' Nursery between Visalia and Farmersville.

Lukes recalled planting wildflowers with her mother in the backyard, and helping her tend her tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. After harvesting, she chopped and cooked her vegetables.

Lukes would drop off her mother at the mall for her workouts, until she collapsed before the aerobics class she was looking forward to, active as she had wanted to be to the end.

"She still cooked," Lukes said. "She had just made banana nut bread. We're still having it."

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. today in Visalia United Methodist Church.

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