Janet Isabella Looney

Born – Salmon Arm, BC, July 11, 1921

Died – Kamloops, BC, August 16, 2020

Janet was born to John and Margaret (d. 1923 nee Fletcher) Jackson in Salmon Arm, BC, and lovingly raised by John and Sybil Jackson in Sonningdale, Saskatchewan, spending summers with her Fletcher cousins in Briercrest, Saskatchewan. She enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division in 1942 and was stationed at the Rockliffe Air Force base in Ottawa where she worked in stores maintaining the aircraft supplies. After the war she moved to Vancouver and entered nurses training at St Paul‘s Hospital and graduated with her RN in 1950. While in Training she met Gordon Looney and they married in 1950 and had two sons – John and Michael. Janet practiced nursing in Vancouver for over 35 years; initially retiring at age 63, she then became a certified bartender (first in her graduating class!), but shortly returned to nursing and worked in nursing homes until she was 73.

Sporting a distinctive personal style – regularly drawing compliments from strangers around town – Janet saw the glass as half full and made the best of life. Always ready for new adventures she pursued an active life. She especially enjoyed apartment hunting, moving and decorating, golf, painting, creating costumes and performing skits, and playing piano by ear at parties. She travelled to Europe, Hawaii, and Egypt. She was particularly enthralled with Egypt and was convinced she was a descendent of Queen Nefertiti. A natural poet (limericks “on demand”), an open novel always at hand, she practiced the “art” of daily socializing - often on the phone, or over coffee - with dozens of life-long friends and acquaintances.

Janet was the definition of “compassionate”, yet with a strong sense of the “pragmatic”. She easily made friends from all walks of life and could be counted on to care for and advise others at times of need.

Living independently until 4 years ago when she relocated to Kamloops to be near family she died peacefully, in her sleep, at age 99.

Janet is predeceased by her husband Gordon (1979), and survived by sons John (Ding) and Michael (Mona), sisters Evelyn Henault and Shiela Foster, nieces (Leanne and Janet (2017)), grand-nephew (Danny), cousins, and many friends - old and young - in Vancouver, across Canada and the U.S.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the nurses, care aides, and staff at the Brio Care unit of Berwick on the Park in Kamloops for the extraordinary care they provided Janet these last few years.

John and Mike will be having a small memorial event in Vancouver at a later date – most likely this coming Spring.

A Vancouver park bench will be dedicated to Janet’s memory ideally near Stanley Park Pitch and Putt where she spent many happy days both with her husband Gordie and later with her friends from the West End.