Janet MacNeill Cartwright (nee Edington) of Mirror, Alberta passed away peacefully with her family at her side at the Lacombe Hospital Centre on Friday, April 24, 2015 at the age of 79 years.
Janet was born on June 12, 1935 in Moncton, New Brunswick to William and Harriet Edington. She grew up in Moncton with her parents and 2 sisters. She was an active young girl who loved to roller skate, play badminton and swim at the beach at Shediac, New Brunswick. She had an aptitude for numbers but such was not the case with geography, which was not a strong point throughout her life. Her upbringing in New Brunswick lended itself to a diet with a lot of seafood and her love of seafood stayed with her for the rest of her life. She was not one to turn down a feast of lobster, king crab, fish or shrimp.
At 17 years old Janet put her aptitude for numbers to use at the Bank of Nova Scotia on St. George Street in Moncton and a while later ventured to the big city of Ottawa, Ontario where she worked as as a teller at the Bank of Montreal.
One evening at a dance hall at the Ritz Hotel on corner of Bank and Somerset Streets (Janet really loved to dance) she spotted a handsome young navy man and she crossed her fingers behind her back in hopes that he would ask her to dance. He did...and they fell in love. 7 months later, On July 16, 1955, the handsome young navy man (David Cartwright) and Janet were married in Ottawa. Thus began a 60-year love affair that included raising 8 children and living in 5 provinces and 1 territory as a military family.
Janet loved her family fiercely. She sacrificed many material and personal things to ensure that her husband and children were never without. If you were lucky enough to be one of her children, you grew up with magical Christmases, birthdays, Easters and Halloweens. She also was a champion of the underdog and those in need. She gave generously to various charities and would lend an ear to anyone who needed someone to talk to.
Apart from being the CEO of a family of 10 she would babysit neighbourhood children to help support her family. She also worked as a waitress for several years and later on developed a successful Amway business and then a sports card business.
While living in Dawson Creek, BC, Janet took up bowling and ultimately became the top female bowler in the City. She believed that if you were going to do something, you should dedicate yourself to it and do it right.
In her down time, Janet was known to play a little poker. In earlier years she hosted poker parties at home that would go into the wee hours. In later years she took several trips to Las Vegas and loved every single minute of it.
Janet's final home was in Mirror, Alberta where she and David were at last able to build and live in a brand new home. She enjoyed the home and loved to sit and watch all the neighbourhood birds feeding from her bird feeder in the front yard.
Janet was honest and forthright. She was her own person and she touched the lives of every person who ever had the good fortune of knowing her.
Janet is lovingly remembered by her husband, David Melville Cartwright, of Mirror, Alberta, 3 sons: David Cartwright of Ottawa, Ontario, Phillip Cartwright of Calgary, Alberta and Kenneth Cartwright of Calgary, Alberta, 5 daughters: Catherine Pages (Cartwright) of Benalto, Alberta, Linda Mosionier of Erskine, Alberta, Cheryll Cartwright of Mirror, Alberta, Colleen Grettum of Calgary, Alberta and Christine Cartwright of Red Deer, Alberta, 15 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, 2 sisters (Barbara Gautier of Arizona and Pamela Moores of Colpitts Settlement, New Brunwick). She is predeceased by her father, William Edington, her mother Harriet Edington and her granddaughter, Celina Czikowski.
A memorial service will be held on what would have been Janet's 80th birthday, June 12, 2015, with details to be announced.
Cremation took place at Parkland Funeral Home on Monday, April 27, 2015.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.