Obituary of Jeanette Celia Burrill
Jeanette (Janet) Celia Burrill died peacefully, surrounded by family, on Thursday, 13 January 2022, at Fairmount Home in Glenburnie, Ontario. The family wishes to thank Fairmount Home for the excellent care she received over the past 3½ years.
Janet was born 8 April 1931 in Shelburne, Nova Scotia to parents Reginald and Margaret (McKay) Smith. She attended teacher’s college in Truro, N. S. and upon graduation began a teaching job in Yarmouth, N. S. where she met her husband Charles Oswald Burrill. They were married on 12 May 1956. She and Charlie served with the United Church of Canada and the Atlantic Convention of United Baptists in Boistown, NB, Upper Stewiake, NS, Oromocto, NB, Port Maitland, NS, Halifax, NS and Minto, NB. Janet was passionate about ministering to others and loved her work in children’s ministries, as a soloist, and pastoral visitation and spiritual counselling. She briefly returned to teaching in Port Maitland, NS for three years.
Janet was predeceased by her parents, her husband Charles Burrill, and her grandson, Timothy Streeter, as well as her beloved beau, James Dempsey. She is survived by her three daughters, Jane (Josiah) Streeter of Orillia, ON, Wanda (Brent) Burrill-Kowalczyk of Halifax, NS, and Donna (Ron) Bell of Kingston, ON. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Joshua, Kaleb, and Micah Streeter, Sarah, Rachel, and Matthew Bell and six great-grandchildren. Janet loved nothing more than spending time with her grand-children and great-grand-children. They were the joy of her life.
Janet is remembered as being a gentle, quiet soul, and a formidable force when she set her mind to something. She founded the Celiac Association chapter of Fredericton, NB in the early 1980s and at the age of 80 years old developed the steering committee and board to found Bible’s for Missions Thrift Store in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia. During this time, she also published her first novel, Dark Clouds of the Morning, appeared on 100 Huntley Street, and became engaged to her special friend, James Dempsey.
Her hobbies included reading, writing poetry, short stories and novels, singing, drama, needlework, and painting. Janet also loved hosting tea parties with her daughter, Wanda in Halifax. Scenic day trips in Nova Scotia with Wanda and Brent also brought her great joy. Her love of cats was evident to all, and her lap was like a feline magnet anywhere she visited. She had many pet cats over the years.
Janet knew how to get the most out of life and could find joy in the simplest of things. She always had praise for God on her lips and a grateful attitude for even the smallest of pleasures or acts of kindness. She continued to overflow with thanks and expressions of affection to all around her until days before her passing away from Alzheimer’s disease. Caring about the feelings of others continued until the end of her life.
A celebration of life will be held at Bayridge Alliance Church, Kingston, ON on Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at 2 pm. If you wish to receive an email with a link to the livestream, please contact Donna Bell at janetb.memorial@gmail.com.
Donations may be made in memory of Janet to the Alzheimer Society or a local cat shelter of your choosing.
