Janet Masaoy

Masaoy, Janet F., 76, of Beverly Hills, FL, passed away Jan. 25, 2013. A native of Massachusetts, Janet was raised in Arlington, graduating from Arlington High School (class of 1954) and Jackson College/Tufts University (class of 1958). She raised her family in Carlisle, where she was a wonderful mother, wife, friend, educator, postal employee, church member and secretary at the First Religious Unitarian Universalist Society, and community leader. After moving to Beverly Hills, Florida in 1992, Janet was a founding member of Nature Coast Unitarian Universalists, as well as the founder & president of C.O.S.T. (Citizens Opposed to the Suncoast Tollway), which successfully stopped a highway from being built through a residential and environmentally sensitive area of Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jose, and survived by 2 sons, Keith Given (Boscawen, NH) and Todd Given (Douglas, MA); daughter, Heidi Given and beloved granddaughter, Jacqueline Given (Arlington, MA); sister, Kathleen Harvie (Concord, MA); 6 additional grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; and her nieces Kim Crawford Harvie (Boston, MA) and Lisa Drew McIlwain (Portland, ME) and their families, all of whom adored her. Janet will be remembered for her ready laugh, her kindness to others, and her vivacious spirit. A service of remembrance will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 1:00 PM at the First Religious Society in Carlisle, MA, followed by a graveside service at the Westlawn Cemetery in Littleton, MA. In Lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Janet Masaoy will be gratefully accepted to the Trustees of Tufts College (memo-Eliot-Pearson Teacher Education program, in memory of J. Masaoy) | Tufts University, P.O. Box 3306, Boston, MA 02241-3306.