Janet Rose

ROSE, Janet Janet Rose (Oct. 18, 1946 – September 11, 2009), a resident of West Hartford since 1976, died peacefully with her family at her side. Unfortunately, she did not die of her disease of choice, heart disease (brought on by a steady diet of maple syrup and sweetened condensed milk). She died as she always wanted: quickly, painlessly, with dignity, and captured in a quirky obituary. Janet was the only child of Fannie Lazarus and Milton Rose. She spent her childhood in Ontario eating brown sugar sandwiches and sharing ice cream cones with dogs, which explains why she became a life-long lover of both desserts and animals. Janet received a sociology degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, worked as an educator, then found her calling as a piano teacher. She was a homemaker extraordinaire (except in the area of cleaning, as she believed dust served as a protective coating), a non-stop cook, baker, and mom to her three daughters, Stephanie, Alyssa, and Michelle. She was the most fun-loving, non-judgmental, supportive mother to them, as well as to her beloved dogs, Chamois, Puccini, Louis, and Lizzie. Janet redefined the word friendship, since she was generous beyond compare. She opened her home to everyone, including boarders from around the world and complete strangers she met on airplanes. Everyone she met ended up loving her for her kooky sense of humor, sparkle, genuineness, and inexplicable ability to make one feel like the most important individual in her world. She was best friend to many, and piano teacher to hundreds. As a talented musician and piano teacher, Janet made learning to play the piano fun. When her students and their families came to the house for lessons or recitals, they entered a house filled with music, laughter, books, fresh-baked desserts, large jars of candy, barking dogs, purring cats, a silent turtle, and their ever-adoring teacher. Janet never complained, even as she suffered from the symptoms of undiagnosed respiratory disease. The Lazarus in her kept her always on the go, doing things her way, even as her sickness slowed her down. One of her favorite things to do was to find treasures for her grandchildren and daughters on trash day, at tag sales, or at TJ Maxx and Marshall's, which is why her grandson referred to her as Bargain Bubbie. Janet leaves behind a gaping hole in the world that will now be filled by the love of all those whose lives she's touched. She radiated joy to her children Alyssa Rose, Stephanie and Michelle Weinstein, grandchildren Travis and Rita Perlman, son-in-law Steve Perlman, as well as her extended family of relatives, friends, students, her ex-husband, sister-in-law, and nieces. On Janet's 60th birthday, she found out that she was not an only child, but the long, lost sister of a half-brother, Joe Brown (and sister-in-law Wendy) from Pickering, Ontario, who she leaves behind after being found through his extensive search and a lifetime of wondering. A memorial recital for Janet will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2080 Boulevard, West Hartford. All are welcome to share a story or play a song on the piano in Janet's honor. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Janet's name to HFPG, Inc. for the "Janet B. Rose Memorial Scholarship Fund" and mailed to the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, 10 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT 06106.