Date de Décès: 2008-07-06
Date de Parution: 2008-07-09
Source: Ottawa Citizen, ON
JONES, Janet I. (nee Swerdfager) After a four year battle with cancer, Janet's family are sad to announce that she passed away on July 6th, 2008 surrounded by her family. Survived by her beloved husband of 50 years, Gordon Jones, Janet was born in Ottawa on November 24, 1935. Predeceased by her parents Hazel & Murray Swerdfager and her sister Betty Mount and brother Ron Swerdfager, she is survived by her sister Lynda Wagner of Calgary. She is also survived by her much loved children Susan (John Schumacher) Laura (Mike Rasberry) David (Karen) Jones and Karen (Randall Vickerson). She was a dearly loved Nana by her 12 grandchildren: Laura Keohane, Katrina, Michael and Petr Schumacher, Adam, Matt and Jenna Rasbery, Robert, Sarah and William Jones and Rachel and Simon Vickerson. Janet grew up in Ottawa, attended Lisgar Collegiate and the Ottawa Teacher's College. After a brief time as a kindergarten teacher, she stayed home to raise her children and then began a career as a volunteer, using her extensive organization and leadership skills. She served her church, Parkwoods United in Don Mills and St. John's United in Oakville, where she taught Sunday School and served on many committees as well as serving as Chair of the St. John's Church Board, she was a volunteer at the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for 20 years and also served as a member of the Hospital board. She was a volunteer for the Canadian Red Cross for 30 years, starting in Oakville where she was branch President, and then she served on the Ontario Zone Board for 16 years, 2 of them as President. She was then elected to the National Board were she served on many committees for 12 years. In 1988 Janet was named a member of the Order of the Red Cross and at the time of her retirement in 1996 from the National Board, she was elevated to be an Officer of the Order of the Red Cross. Janet's greatest pleasure and dedication were reserved for the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, which she joined, as a violinist, the year it was founded 1967. For 40 years she played each concert as well as organizing many off stage activities, from fund-raising projects to social events. She served on the orchestra's Board of Directors for ten years, three of those as President and Chair. In November 2002, Janet was presented with the Queen's Jubilee medal for her volunteer work in the community. Cremation has taken place. Visitation for family and friends will be held at the Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Rd. West, Oakville, (one block east of Kerr, 905-844-2600) between 4 - 6 P.M. on Friday, July 11th. A service of celebration of Janet's life will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 2 P.M. in St. Johns United Church, 262 Randall St. Oakville, ON L6J 1P9. In Memoriam donations may be made to St. John's United Church Heritage Fund or the Janet Jones Young Artists Fund (c/o The Oakville Symphony Orchestra, 99 Bronte Road, Suite 114, Oakville, ON. L6L 3B7) or Ian Anderson House, 430 Winston Churchill Blvd. Oakville, ON L6J 7X2. Email condolences may be made through www.koprivataylor.com Published in the Ottawa Citizen on 7/9/2008