Janet Helen Atherton

1936 - 2024

Janet Helen Atherton

Pittsfield, NH - Janet Helen (Hughes) Atherton March 22nd 1936 to January 15th 2024. Beloved wife of William Joseph Atherton and much-loved mother of Bill (Jennifer), Ted, John-Paul (Jill), Kelly (Julie), Laura (Fernando) and Carrie and dear grandmother of Audrey, Will, Jacob-Paul, Michael, Oliver and Benjamin.

After a brief illness, and surrounded by loved ones, Jane slipped quietly from the party.

A mother of enormous spirit, energy, and fierce love, an ever-faithful booster of dreams, a wonderful dancer, a tireless listener, and indefatigable partier.

Born in Toronto, she graduated from Toronto Teachers College and was a primary school teacher at the age of 18, later teaching in Special Education at John Paul II Catholic Secondary School. A singer with an unerring ear for harmony, she was an integral member of folk music groups at Saint Barnabas Church in Toronto and Blessed Sacrament in Winnipeg.

An essential part of his career, she worked alongside her husband Bill, traveling the world with him, hosting and helping him to forge the working relationships upon which his success was based.

Moving where her husband's career took him, her first three children were born a year apart in three different cities–Ottawa, Winnipeg and Toronto. She also lived in Whitby, Boston, Lincoln, NE and Pittsfield NH. Jane and Bill's condo in Freeport, Bahamas was the scene of much family fun, until their retirement, after which winters in Bonita springs, FL became the venue for more of the same. She became a dual US and Canadian citizen in 1996.

Predeceased by parents Bernard W. Hughes and Marjorie G. Hughes, siblings Marjorie (Bunny) Culligan, Barbara Doran, and Bernard Hughes, nephew Paul Culligan and sister-in-law Judy Atherton, she is fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews in the Hughes family: Michael, Bernie, Janet, Susan, Cathy, David, Chuck, Marjorie, Barbara, Pat D., Joe, Theresa, Pat C, Leo, Jody, Janet, and Bernadette.

Jane was also a favorite among Bill's family and will be missed by sisters-in-law Nancy, Pat, Judy, and Maureen, and brothers-in-law Tony, Paul and Bob, as well as nieces Wendy, Mary, Kate, and Emily, and nephews Peter, Chris, Nat, and Devin.

She will be missed and remembered by the many friends that she made family and the many strangers that she made friends, whose lives and sometimes faces she touched.

A celebration of Jane's life will be held at a later date.