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Obituary of Janet Gilmore Greene
Janet Gilmore Greene
1939 – 2019
With love and great sadness, we announce the death of ourmother, Janet Gilmore Greene, on September 3rd, after a long illness. She was the beloved wife of the late ProfessorChristopher M. Greene, devoted mother to Alexandra Greene (Darryl Kalloo) and Abigail Greene DeWolfe (Matthew DeWolfe), and loving grandmother to Lydia and Christopher Kalloo and Norah and Nathanael DeWolfe.
Janet was the eldest of four siblings, Diana Fane, Thomas Gilmore and John Gilmore. The daughter of Myron Piper Gilmore, a Harvard professor and his wife, Sheila DehnGilmore, she grew up in the Boston area. Janet became a nurse, working in both hospital and community care in London, England and in Boston. She met Christopher, one of her father’s students, and once married they moved to Fredericton, NB for a year, before landing in Peterborough in 1966. Although initially not intending to stay, they fell in love with Trent University and the city.
Janet devoted her working life to strengthening the local community through positions at the Volunteer Bureau, Peterborough Race Relations, John Howard Society, Fleming College, Community Living Association and finally as Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association. She was generous with her time, volunteering for the Canadian Canoe Museum, the Kawartha Food Share, and the Lakefield Humane Society among others, as well as serving on the boards of the Children’s Aid Society and Peterborough Regional Health Center.
She and Christopher, along with a succession of dogs, spent the summers in New Hampshire where Janet became an enthusiastic hiker. Over the years there, they hosted many Peterborough friends, sharing their love of the White Mountains. In more recent years she could often be found skinny dipping in refreshing mountain ponds.
Janet was a fixture around Peterborough, walking her dogs off-leash, buying the NY Times, and shopping at Wild Rock, striking up conversations with everyone along the way. Throughout every facet of her life, she assembled a remarkable group of friends. Second only to her family, these friendships were her greatest joy. Friends and family alike relished her sharp wit and self-deprecating humour. These characteristics were also treasured by her grandchildren, who often affectionately referred to her as “Nana Banana.” She will live on for them in the stories family and friends will delight in the retelling.
The devotion of her friends was sustaining to both her and her daughters over these last challenging years. This astonishing and loyal circle of friends serves as a testament to how she lived and the impact she had on the community. Her family would also like to thank the care staff at the Royal Gardens and Peterborough Extendicare. Because of them, they were comforted knowing that she was well cared for and that glimpses of the Janet they all knew were still present and appreciated. As one staff member remarked, “Frigg – she was such a character!” And she was. A very loved one.
Memorial service to be held on October 5th, 1pm at St. John’s Anglican Church in Peterborough. For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Learning Disabilities Association and/or the Christopher Greene Bursary at Trent University are appreciated.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Janet
Gilmore
Greene..
Death notice for the town of: Peterborough, Province: Ontario