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Janet Fine Obituary

FINE--Janet, 56, journalist and author, died peacefully and surrounded by love on November 24th, 2007 in Mumbai, India. Janet's generous spirit and giving heart touched hundreds of people throughout the world. She made us laugh; she made us care; she opened the door and invited us to join her on great adventures and unconventional journeys. Janet is survived by her sisters Carla, Ellen and Jill, and her nephews Ben and Jono. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents Lillian and Benjamin Fine. A memorial gathering to celebrate Janet's incredible and wondrous life will be held at 2pm on Sunday, December 9th, 2007 at the Riverside Memorial Chapel, 76th St. and Amsterdam Ave., NYC.

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Published by New York Times from Dec. 2 to Dec. 3, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Janet Fine

19 Entries

Shantee

November 26, 2024

An Egyptian papyrus picture given to me by Janet many years ago now graces the Sedona living room of my youngest child, Angelica Isadora. Janet met Baby Angel, siblings Jess snd Jazz, and father Glenn, when she visited us in 1995, the last time I saw her. RIP dear friend, Janet! Your vibrant spirit lives forever!
Shantee Nataraja

Shantee Baker

December 21, 2023

I have looked for my friend, Janet Fine, for years. I "found" her today. I last saw her in Albany, California, in June 1995, when my little one was one month old, my middle one celebrated his 7th birthday, and my big one was a happy 9 year-old. Three years later my husband would die, and I lived in shock and survival for several years caring for myself and my three children. Every now and then I would think of Janet, and wanted to be in touch with her. I just never found her until today. Our story began in Mumbai years ago, around 1984. Now I want to piece that time of my life together. We were both dancers, and into natural healing. We met through a mutual friend, Ramesh Khanna. I traveled with another woman friend of hers as a "journalist" to homes of Maharajas as a guest of a guest of Janet's, traveling by private taxi, staying in palace hotels, ostensibly to write a story which never happened on my end. Janet had worked on a coffee table book about the palaces of the maharajas. Imagine going to the island featured in a James. Bond movie, staying at the castle of. the Udaipur maharaja, walking in. his garden with the peacocks, riding his race horse around his private track. ... I could go on. Janet. Dear Janet! A courtesan of the world! That smile! That joie de vivre! Wow!

Pamela Dubin

November 15, 2009

I am shocked and saddened to find these postings.......Janet had been trying to get me to come to India and meet her filmmaker friends (She would always say they loved blondes there....) and stay there and do some films in India, travel with her to Egypt and show me her beloved places, for years. Finally I emailed her to make a concrete plans but didn't hear anything back.....which was completely not like Janet.....I emailed several times and then tried to call her cell more recently which was disconnected. I figured that she had changed her number and would be in touch. I know her Mom had passed away in Florida so I couldn't try there. I think on some level I just couldn't look on the internet yet even though I had a bad feeling...But her email still worked so.........I still emailed.........even last week......Maybe she's reading them somewhere...we'll have to listen hard to hear the answers.......

I didn't hear from her last year in September and then again this one........as we always exchanged birthday wishes and love .....(our bdates are a handful of days apart and many years as well.....but most times it didn't seem that way...as you know, Janet had a very young and very old spirit.....) This was absolutely out of character and I knew in my gut something was wrong. We had never gone this long without communicating and then the massacre in Mumbai and I thought the worst....maybe that's why I hadn't heard.....And then, I found that some friends of the family were going to India this weekend.....I gave them all of her information there.....now I guess I know the outcome of the search even before they get back.......I just heard on the news that they were saying something about the massacre again and I thought on a whim I'll just google her......and then I found this.........

It seems impossible, even with her small stature, that someone of Janet's energy and unique spirit and zest and fight for right could be gone. I looked up to her for being so different. She was my neighbor in NYC and we went on adventures not only in NY, CA and FL but she was so supportive of my acting career and such a original......From her newsletters against the "establishment" of our building in NYC...to going through the everglades, at night through the pouring rain, barely seeing the road, to accompany me to an audition, in FL......to flying on a small plane with a boyfriend of hers, to wine country in CA.....to her article, about me, before I was a professional, in a paper, in India, to people who would have never had any reason to have heard of me...to giving me a bar of special soap that when used would cause the man of my dreams to fall in love with me.....(you have to picture the wrapping...a woman in the arms of a man, like the "Gone with the Wind" poster, but in a horseshoe and the woman is blonde....I still haven't used it....but I've had it with me....all these years...) ......to her open heart that let all kinds of people into her apartment in NYC.....to her intellect and spirituality and humor and free spirit....so many adventures.....so many generosities .....

I see confirmed my thoughts these years through all the postings here and online I have found in the hours since I found this heartbreaking news.....that she had a wide range of people she danced into their hearts as well....So of the world.....so of the universe...........that's why none of us can believe she's not here, because she is.....in each of us.....

Somehow Janet was really not on our plane......she was a light energy on her own time clock in her own belief system.....free, like a bird.....flitting in and out of our lives......a different bird like the one described in The Shawshank Redemption.......a bird who's colors are to bright to be caged up....and exotic bird.....and when it's gone, we're glad for the bird to be free but it's that much more drab here...........have a safe flight, my friend...I miss you......Thank-you for leaving some of your wonderful spirit with each of us......

Please anyone who would like, please do contact me to comfort and connect about her.......loving thoughts to all.......

September 25, 2009

Janet and I were very close and best friends in high school. We did very crazy and fun schemes, like Marx Brothers scenarios. We trooped around the city together with her international friends. We continued to be friends through our College years. She came in and out of my life, and I'm very sad she has moved on. Love to all of you, her family, and I won't name you to respect your privacy. I sent a few of you some notes and I hope they arrived. Janet and I did many things together in those years. I send you all much love and will remember her as a close friend that I lost touch with.

Phil Ehrlich

August 7, 2009

Shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Janet. We were good friends at Columbia in the 1970's and stayed in touch intermittently over the years until a few years ago. I wanted to find her again and instead found this terrible news too late. I will always remember her full of life, kind, irrepressible, and unorthodox. She will always be a special friend.

geeta ramsingh

February 25, 2009

The magical Janet Fine...how greatly saddened I am...I am most grateful to have known her.

Beth Lord

February 7, 2009

I met Janet in South America during a student exchange in high school. We climbed around Machu Pichu, explored Buenos Aires and spent a magnificent day boating on the Rio de la Plata. We met several times in NYC the following winter to eat steak and dulce de leche at the Rincon Argentino. We lost touch and now... as you see she was such a presence even then, one of the people I will remember forever. Her spirit remains in each of us.

Kim Bennett

October 25, 2008

I am so saddened to learn of the passing of my cousin Janet. I have been blessed with many wonderful memories of visits with her through the years. I only wish that I had a chance to wish her well as she travels along into her next journey.

Jeffrey Ainis

May 27, 2008

I met Janet when I was an editor at the Hollywood Reporter. We both liked India and she sent me stories from there (where she had a fun address).

When she came to Los Angeles I told her that a Vedic astrologer said I should wear a gold ring with a yellow saphire on my right index finger. She was wearing such a ring and she silently took it off to give to me. It was too small but a big gesture. I will send her blessings.

Lucia M Wolf

May 13, 2008

Janet was such an exceptional woman. I had met her at the Cairo Film Festival and we had a strong bound. I had spent un unforgettable time with her in New York.
I hadn't heard from her for a long time and recently I was thinking of her. I'm shocked that she is gone, so young. She had so many wonderful projects.
Lucia M. Wolf, Upland, CA

Martha Carey

March 24, 2008

Janet and I were friends at George Washington University back in 1969. I left the school and we eventually lost touch. Her mother was my English teacher in high school and I remember her father as well. I've tried to look her up in NY phone books for years and "google" her. This is the first time I had luck finding her, then the shock that she had recently passed away. She was a force to be reckoned with even at age 18. She was our ringleader, and we joined forces to attend all the war protests and "yippie" disturbances in DC. I'm so sorry to hear about this sad news.

Priam Sen

February 14, 2008

Janet was a good friend of mine. She had a big heart and the warmth of a mother. We will all miss her!

Harry Jhangiani

January 21, 2008

Janet was a Lively personality who brought in light and life into her friends in terms of knowlede & joy .

nina menkes

January 17, 2008

janet fine was totally unique toally irreplaceable totally herself. she is loved, i am so sad.

Brooke Comer

December 8, 2007

I am in shock. Janet was a force of nature, how death could claim her is inconceivable.

Joseph St. Anne

December 7, 2007

Janet was a friend. I met her in Bombay a few years ago and she was a friend ever since. She was the moving spirit of Coho and each time I'd return to Bombay she'd have a new adventure up her sleeve. I'll miss seeing her eyes light up at my vegetarian stir-frys. I'll miss her flamboyant enthusiasm.
This is not a goodbye, Janet. I'll remember you. With joy.

Emily Mayne

December 5, 2007

Janet's family doesn't know me, but Janet was very special to me. I miss her terribly.

Janet, blessings on your journey, my dancer friend. ...another adventure in a series of many.

John Matthew

December 5, 2007

I didn't know Janet, only have seen her from a distance. But there was this aura of accomplishment, this halo of something that tells you "this person is special." As Jermiah says, I am devastated, more so because I thought her to be a US diplomat's wife. I hope Janet will forgive me for that. May her soul RIP.

Jeremiah Newton

December 4, 2007

I am totally shocked. Janet was an amazing woman and totally generous with her vast knowledge and contacts. I am devastated! I adored Janet. What a loss for all her friends. My condolences. Jeremiah Newton

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