Janet A. McDonough, 69

NEW HAMPTON — Janet Ann (née Higgins) McDonough, 69, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, and New Hampton, retired after a 42-year nursing career. Janet passed at home as she wished, after a long battle with a rare gallbladder cancer.

After retiring from nursing, she found another way to care for the people by volunteering with the Central NH MRC, CERT team working to distribute COVID shots at multiple clinics and yearly flu vaccines to the kiddos in their schools across central New Hampshire.

The yearly family ski trip to Mittersill, playing tennis, pickleball and golf along with being an avid long-time quilter were her passions until cancer took them away, yet never removed the love for family and friends. She was lucky enough to complete many bucket list trips which included an epic camping trip back and forth across the country to Vancouver, BC, a Baltic Sea cruise, a Mediterranean Sea cruise and Disney with the kids, along with multiple trips to Colorado.

Her last best days were spent on the deck or boat watching the kids, friends, family and guests having a blast in the lake or on the tube behind the jet ski.

Janet held a special spot in her heart for the nurses, doctor and everyone else inside the oncology center, and her treatment family at Speare Memorial Hospital for taking this journey with her, along with Lakes Region VNA Hospice.

She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, John "Jake," "Jack"; three loved children, Richard (Ketziah), Erin (Micky) and Corinne (Charles); siblings, brothers Joe (Pat), Brian and Paul, sisters Ruth and Nancy; she was a loving nana to eight grandchildren, Marea, Israel, Naomi, Abigail, Charlie, Rakefet, Ben and Liora, and joyfully welcomed Vanessa and Ian into her life when Erin met Micky. She is predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Edith (née Larson), many aunts, uncles and in-laws.

Janet was an “auntie” to many nieces and nephews along with many grand- and great-grandnieces and nephews whom she will miss dearly. She was a sister-in-law to Mike and Joanne McDonnough and Kate Murray.

No services are scheduled per Janet’s wishes.

Celebrations of life will be held soon, one in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to be followed by another in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. At both celebrations of Janet’s life there will be a donation bucket in place to accept gifts to send a local kid to tennis camp. Or donations could be sent in her name to Speare Memorial Hospital Oncology Department, 16 Hospital Road, Plymouth, NH 03264.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, visit wilkinsonbeane.com.