Janet Bouchard

Janet (Paquette) Bouchard, 89, of Berlin, NH passed away on July 29, 2024 while holding the comforting hand of her dear cousin, Lola Lambert.

Janet was born in Berlin, on May 5, 1935. As a young girl, she and her cousin Lola spent their time together enjoying neighborhood adventures. Many fond memories of her early life on Boulay St. were shared with her family through the years. She took great pride in having been a Berlin High School cheerleader. During the summers while in High School, Janet worked at the Ravine House and had more fun stories from her time there.

In 1955, Janet married Oscar Bouchard, and they moved into a house that he built on Portland St. where she lived until 2021. Together they raised their family on “the hill” until they divorced in 1976. While living on Portland St., her good neighbors the Nelson family, and Jackie Duclos and her son, Richard, always took time to look In on her and help with any chores that needed doing. She was blessed to have such good neighbors.

Janet worked at several jobs, but she found her true passion when she worked with the elderly at the Coos County Nursing Home. Her work with the residents in the activities department tapped in to her fun loving nature. Eventually, her scope of work expanded into the role of restorative aid in the physical therapy department. Her devotion to her patients was evident in the way she cared deeply for each resident she worked with. Her career at the nursing home provided rewarding work, and long-term friendships with her co-workers.

Janet’s adventurous spirit and desire to have fun inspired her travel to many different places with her family. She didn’t hesitate to get in her car alone, and drive 16 hours from Berlin to southern New Jersey to visit her daughter and son-in-law. Annual trips to the coast of Maine and Polly’s Pancake House with her grand-daughters created great memories too. Alaska became a frequent destination when her daughter and family moved there. Travel with Lola was another opportunity for more adventure and fun.

Although travel brought Janet great joy, nothing brought her more pleasure than spending time with her extended family at her camp at Cedar Pond. There was never a shortage of great food, hearty laughter, and family fun all combining to create cherished memories. Janet was the photographer of the family, and she produced a well documented history of her life which she enjoyed with a loving family and good friends.

During the last two years of her life, while in the Coos County Nursing Home, her two cousins Lola Lambert and Pauline Donovan were dedicated visitors. The three of them shared many fun stories about times past, enjoyed some good laughs, and shed a few tears after some of the more unpleasant visits. Louise Durant, Janet’s sister from Florida, visited her and called her frequently. She was regularly visited by her daughters and their families. All of these visits and phone calls brought her joy which was a treasure since she could no longer recall events from her life.

Janet is no longer with us, but the memory of her easy going and loving manner along with her ability to be present with others, are gifts to those who survive her.

Janet was preceded in death by her father, Amedee Paquette, her mother, Rose (Cloutier) Paquette, her brothers and sisters-in-law; Richard “Dick” Paquette and Janet (Gillen) Paquette, Norman “Sam” Paquette and Penny (Brungot) Paquette, brother; Wayne Thompson; son-in- law, Henri “Hank” Leclerc; brother-in-law; Leon Durant. She is survived by her two daughters, Nancy Leclerc-Davidson and her husband Bill Davidson, and Linda Coffey and her husband Brian Coffey, her sister Louise Durant, and sister-in-law, Pinky Thompson. She had four grand- children, Laurel Smith, Amelia Coffey, Henri Leclerc, and Kelsey Conway. She had five great- grandchildren: Lennon, Grant and Walker Smith, and Adeline and Olivia Leclerc. She is also survived by several cousins, nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews.

In memory of our mother, please take the time to appreciate the things in life that bring you joy such as spending time with family, sharing old stories, holding hands, and enjoying a good laugh. Lastly, In our mother’s words, we are not saying “Good bye” but rather “See you later mom”.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday August 22, 2024 at 10 AM at St. Anne Church of Good Shepherd Parish. There will be no calling hours. 

Arrangements are entrusted to Bryant Funeral Homes. Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.bryantfuneralhome.net.