Janet Helen ‘Jan’ Nesbitt (nee) Neely passed away peacefully, with her daughter by her side, at Bethany CollegeSide, Red Deer on Sunday, January 2, 2022 at the age of 81 years.
Jan was predeceased by her husband, Dale Nesbitt (2014) and her granddaughter, Kayleigh Johnstone (2021). Mourning her passing are her sister, Mary Neely, her daughter, Kim Johnstone (husband Brad), her son, Sandy Nesbitt; as well as her grandson, Sean Johnstone and granddaughter, Caitlin Ball. There are also many McGilvary clan cousins, her friends and colleagues from the Galt School of Nursing in Lethbridge, and people from her life and career in the Lacombe area who remember her.
Jan and lifelong friend, Corrine Lembicz (passed 2020) survived the rigors of nursing training at the Galt School of Nursing in Lethbridge. After graduation, Corrine brought Janet along to Lacombe to begin their careers at the Lacombe Hospital and Alberta Hospital in Ponoka. They were best friends all the years they’ve known each other, working together and raising families.
Jan will be missed by those she had graduated with along with others who she had worked with in Healthcare. In retirementm she worked with the Tasters Program at the Lacombe Research Station, the Friends of the Lacombe Library, and her local book club where she had found good friends. She appreciated the time spent with you.
There were three passion threads that ran through Jan’s life – nursing, reading and animals. She loved being a nurse and helping people. In the family, we joked that she had probably assisted at half the births in the town of Lacombe. Walking down the street with her, being remembered by those she helped reinforced that theory.
Reading was a great gift from her father, John Neely and their home was filled with books. Jan’s love of reading was passed down generation to generation.
Animals were a constant in Jan and Dale’s lives. Their animals ranged from common to exotic. Their animal stories included Siamese cats birthing in their bed, an ornery skunk, an explosion of rabbits, Dobermans to guard the farm, a Komondor to guard the 200 Angora goats, and a Bouvier (who was commonly thought to be Dale’s girlfriend riding shotgun in the truck). There were ordinary animals like Charolais and Herefords, pigs, Appaloosa horses, and regular and miniature donkeys. However with time and many, many exotic animal sales, llamas, alpacas, Guinea hens, peacocks, wattle hogs (shout-out to Priscilla and Petunia) were added to their large menagerie. Jan, a credit card, and an Odd and Unusual Sale was a dangerous combination.
Wild animals found haven at their farm. Many feral cats found sheltering in the outbuildings and were patiently fed and eventually coaxed in for vet care and lives as house cats, Canada Geese returned every year to raise their young on the large ponds, ducks, coots, the occasional muskrat or heron, small birds flocked to the many feeders kept stocked in the trees – the place was filled with animal life. Jan loved it all.
Special thanks to Dr. Prins and the staff at Lacombe Hospital; as well as the staff of the Dementia Unit at the Centennial Hospital in Ponoka, who took in an angry and unhappy woman and worked tirelessly with her until she was happy and productive. We also give thanks to the staff of Unit B1 at Bethany CollegeSide who gave their very best efforts in caring for Jan in her final year of her life.
She will be missed.
In accordance with her wishes, no Funeral or Memorial Service will be held. She will be cremated and her remains will be interred in a plot with Dale in the spring.
If you wish, a donation in memory of her could be made to the Lacombe Public Library, to an animal welfare charity or to a charity of your choice.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Janet Helen Nesbitt Neely Sunday January 2nd 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Red-Deer, Province: Alberta