Janet Rachel Tufts
December 14, 2018
With broken hearts the family of Janet Tufts announces her death, unexpectedly and peacefully at home early in the morning of Friday, December 14th 2018. She was nearly 82 years old and had been feeling good.
Janet was loved by everyone who knew her. Her open heart and solid moral compass made many who grew up in Tufts Cove think of her as a second mother. Janet was a loyal and tenacious mama lion to her own saucy pups. She raised four rambunctious and spirited kids as a single parent. She went to work and supported her family as a hairstylist and barber. Many will recall her steady skills and cheer at the Golden Clipper in Scotia Square and the airforce base in Shearwater, as well as in her kitchens in Tufts Cove and Albro Lake.
Janet was a deeply spiritual person. She was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church and an Associate of the Sisters of Charity. She worked for many years, both paid and unpaid, in the service of the Church. She was a tireless volunteer with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and a dedicated casserole helper at Margaret’s House/Feeding Others of Dartmouth, as well as many other organizations over the years. In 2014 she was presented with the Archdiocesian Docete Award to recognize her contributions to the Saint Paul’s community. This was a great honour for Janet.
Her curiosity and intelligence led Janet to explore diverse avenues of philosophical study. She attended Saint Mary’s University and the Atlantic School of Theology and participated in the eco-spiritual community Ruah East. Janet was also a clear eyed realist who loved a good laugh. She had recently been reading Die Wise with her raucous and irreverent book club.
Janet was endlessly interested in the world. She enjoyed traveling, whether across the country to visit family, to the States with the Sisters of Charity, or on day trips to check out new parts of the province.
She loved nature and animals. She was an enthusiastic gardener and very proud of her perennials – especially her gorgeous Rose of Sharon. She took daily walks around the neighbourhood and did regular circuits at the Dartmouth Sportsplex and MicMac Mall. She especially relished the wide beaches and open skies of Clam Harbour. She was a cat lover and award winning Tonkinese breeder, a member of the Bluenose Cat Fanciers. Her cats Lilly Bee and Peeps were with her when she died.
She was the eldest of four girls who maintained a strong sisterly bond despite the geographic distance separating them. Janet was the primary caregiver for their dear mother Marjorie, who predeceased her in 2004 and was a survivor of the Halifax Explosion.
In recent years Janet built a unique domestic partnership with her son Stephen. His companionship, devotion, cooking and chauffeur services gave her deep joy and satisfaction.
She had a special bond with her niece and goddaughter Roxanne. They went on movie dates and attended mass together on Christmas Eve every year.
Janet was predeceased by her infant son Joseph and daughter Doris, who died at age four. Her grown – and grateful – children are Tony (Cathy), Stephen, Denise (Shannon Taylor) and Peter (Chrissy). She was a proud grandmother to Richard and Mitchell.
Janet is also survived by her beloved sisters Florence Perkes, Mary Lou Cockburn, and Silverene Peters.
Left to mourn this beautiful and gentle soul are many extended family members and a wide circle of friends and Associates. Janet’s ripples of kindness spread far in the world.
Cremation has taken place. A funeral mass will be held at 10 am on the Solstice, Friday, December 21st at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church on Windmill Road. Internment at the Gates of Heaven Cemetery will be on Mothers Day 2019.
Donations in Janet’s memory can be made to Saint Paul’s Church or the St Vincent de Paul Society.
SERVICES
Funeral Mass
Friday, December 21, 2018
10:00 AM
St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church
199 Windmill Road
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 1G1
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Janet Rachel Tufts December 14 2018..
Death notice for the town of: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia