Janet Elizabeth Cannon

CANNON, Janet Elizabeth, 76, Dexter, August 3, 2013. A graveside service will be held 2 p.m., September 14, 2013, at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Dexter. Arrangements are by Crosby & Neal Funeral Home, Dexter.

Janet Elizabeth Cannon

    DEXTER, ME – Janet Elizabeth Cannon died of cancer on August 3, 2013, at her home surrounded by family. She was born in Somerville, Mass., on February 16, 1937, to Frances Card Cannon and James Miller Cannon.
    Jan’s family moved to Hamden, Conn., where she attended the Putnam Avenue School and graduated from Hamden High School. She attended secretarial school and moved to Boston where she worked as a medical secretary at Beth Israel Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. She attended the Shepherd-Gill School of Practical Nursing at MGH and became an LPN. Jan went on to Lasell College in Newton, MA, where she earned an Associate Degree in Nursing graduating with the highest GPA in her class. She returned to MGH where she worked as an oncology nurse for 26 years.
    After her retirement, Jan moved to Dexter where she became an active volunteer, devoting time to Meals for Me and Pine Tree Hospice. She was a member of the Sunshine Club of Dexter as was her grandmother, Louise Bridgham.
    She loved animals and over the years adopted many cats and dogs; her cats Frou-Frou, Sam and Hobbes will miss her, especially Hobbes, who slept on her bed watching over her caregivers and was with her when she died.
    Jan was predeceased by her parents, Frances and James Cannon; sister, Jacqueline Cannon; sister, Virginia Cannon Preston; niece, Jacqueline Lazare Dunne; cats, Fadaz, Fadaz 2, Susan, Elizabeth, Peter, Franchis, Sofie and Jimmy Jack; dogs, Misty Sue and Jenny.
    Jan was a superb aunt, helping to raise many nieces and nephews; she took them on trips, took them to the movies, babysat when their parents were away, she reminded them to brush their teeth, use polite language and be kind to animals.
    She is survived by her sister, Patricia Cannon of Dexter who was her primary caregiver; sister, Louise Lazare of Newton, MA, and her husband, Aaron; brother-in-law, Alan Preston of Greenville, ME, and his wife, Denise; nieces, Beth, Sarah, Hien, Mari and Naomi; nephews, Robert, David, Samuel, Thomas, Loren, Nicholas and Benjamin; great-nieces, Trinh, Ella, Xyler and Natalie; great-nephews, Kyle, James, Gabriel, Tristan, Ethan, Zachary, Wesley, Derek, K’din, Joshua, Callum and Kole. Jan is also survived by her longtime friends, Emily Grant Duffy of Conn., Barbara Butterfass of St. Albans, ME, Patricia Loughery of St. Albans, ME, Carolyn Thomas and John Strickland of Mass., Donna Catanzano Thomas of Vermont; and recent friends from Maine: Mary Jewett of Dexter, Ginny Dempsey of Dover-Foxcroft and Emlyn Fanjoy of Cambridge.
    A graveside service will be held 2 p.m., September 14, 2013, at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Dexter, ME, at the Card Family monument. Those wishing to remember Jan in a special way may contribute to Pine Tree Hospice, 883 West Main St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426; The Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mt. Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401; or to a charity of one’s choice. Those who wish may leave written condolences at www.CrosbyNeal.com.