Janice Tanguay

MOORESBORO-Kindness comes in many forms. For Jan Tanguay that came in the form of chocolate chip cookies……pecan sandies, snickerdoodles, zucchini bread. You get the idea. Whether you were the UPS driver or a high school wrestler cutting weight, she had you covered. These students recall decades later gorging on those cookies post-match ; other drivers would be envious of who got to drop off packages at the Tanguays. These were small gestures. She had big ones too.

Her life’s calling was to be a nurse. And she was a good one who made her patients feel heard from Boston General to Lower Salford Medical. And she did it with an original sense of humor. Ask anyone who worked a shift with her at Christmas time as she wore jingle bells on her shoes…..She calmed small children getting flu shots and comforted elderly as they passed on. It was through nursing that she met her husband with whom she shared 55+ years of marital companionship. She also substituted as a nurse at her two sons’ junior high schools. That’s not all she did at her kids’ schools.

Jan volunteered to assist homeroom teachers in her sons’ elementary schools. Every year she hosted a homemade brunch to show her appreciation. She also volunteered to bring famous works of art into elementary schools and discuss them with these pre-pubescent art observers. She had a way with children and could get them actually interested in these paintings and participate in talking about them at a level they could relate to.

She also reached out to adults too. Needed a sympathetic ear, a hot meal, maybe just some quiet time away from what was bothering you? A kid who desired a sense of familial stability? A place to stay while you looked for a job and a place to live? Did you feel unsafe at home? Hers was not just an open door, these were invitations extended and accepted.

It is customary in obituaries to list those who survive the departed with their names, ages and maybe occupations. I think it’s safe to say that Jan is survived by hundreds who were genuinely touched by her thoughtfulness, inclusiveness, kindness, and yes……her chocolate chip cookies.

The family will receive friends from 4-6PM, Monday, December 6, 2021 at Clay-Barnette Funeral Home.