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Renée S. Janssen

Renée S. Janssen obituary, Fairfield, CT

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Spear-Miller Funeral Home

39 South Benson Road

Fairfield, Connecticut

Renée Janssen Obituary

Renée S. Janssen
Renée S. Janssen died on Oct. 30, in the home in Fairfield, CT, that she shared with her husband of 33 years, Peter A. Janssen, after a courageous and determined 19-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. She was 77 years old.
The daughter of Nancy Donaldson Starring and Mason B. Starring III, Renée grew up in Mt. Kisco, NY, and graduated from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She married John Woodbridge Patton Cartwright, Jr., and lived in Beeville, TX; Pensacola, FL; Laguna Beach, CA; Havelock, NC; and Wichita, KS, before settling in Fairfield.
Renée was active in real estate in Fairfield, Southport, and Westport for many years, and was chair of the board of Grasmere Eldercare Center. She loved her garden, her home, her family, her many friends, and vacationing at her parents' home in Antigua.
Renée is survived by her sons, John Woodridge Patton Cartwright, III (and his wife, Ashly), of Tucson, AZ, and Brian Macfarland Cartwright (and his wife, Liz), of Durango, CO; her brother, The Rev. Malcolm Starring (and his wife, Jan), of Littleton, NH; her stepchildren, Katherine Janssen, of Tenafly, NJ, Kristen Friesen, of Kalispell, MT, Peter A. Janssen, Jr., of Phoenix, AZ, and Elizabeth Janssen, of Seattle, WA; and her grandchildren, Laine, Ella and Jack Cartwright, and Edward and Elizabeth Salaski.
There will be a celebration of Renée's life for family and friends next spring in Wilmington, DE.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Connecticut Post from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, 2025.

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5 Entries

Mary Kay

November 3, 2025

Renee was a beautiful person inside and out! I enjoyed working with her in real estate. Mary

Malcolm Starring

November 2, 2025

As her younger brother and only sibling, I loved her for my entire life. This is one of my favorite photos of us with our Mom at Granny Donaldson´s pool a long time ago! So many memories of my 74.5 years of loving her: but when I kissed her goodbye and told her I loved her, her eyes opened, she smiled and mouthed she loved me too. I left in tears; just writing this makes me tear up all over again! Such is the price for dearly loving her but one I´d gladly pay all over again.
And I have loved her sons John and Brian all their lives as well as her devoted husband Peter whose selfless and tender care for her as she failed was beyond exemplary!
I´m sad but glad her health struggles are over. As CS Lewis wrote at the end of The Last Battle in his famous Chronicles of Narnia: "The term is over; the holidays have begun." Enjoy them, my dearest sister!

Elizabeth Milne

November 2, 2025

I met Renee at Oldfields in 1962. We were roommates and became great friends. Nov 1963, we left Oldfields together and looked at other schools. Renee chose Dobbs, and I went to Stoneleigh because of riding and my horse. Renee was NOT into horses!!
Time moved on and I was her maid of honor when she married Jake. In 1970 she left Japan to be my Matron of Honor (1st wedding) A fun side note--Malcom was the organist. He was so young and fantastic!!

Divorce is never easy for anyone, and Renee was no exception. It was a glorious time when she told me that she had met Peter at a dinner in NY. And then that wonderful marriage took place. Renee loved and respected him without bounds and her life was complete and happy for all of the years going forward because of Peter.
He took care of her with incredible love, grace and compassion, until the Lord took her on her birthday. Now Renee is pain free, and I know that we are all thankful for that. It's still a really really tough goodbye.

All my love and deepest condolences to the family, especially, John, Brian, Malcolm and Peter.

Strawberry

Pawnee Biggs

November 2, 2025

I have the most wonderful memories (52 years) of times spent with Ren. How happy she was in her garden, and how much she loved Peter, John and Brian. Her valiant struggle with breast cancer. Ren I send to your family respect and love, Pawnee

The Staff of Spear-Miller Funeral Home

October 31, 2025

Offering our deepest condolences during this time.

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39 South Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824

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