I have just seen Janice's obituary.  This made me sad but brought back lovely memories also.  I worked with Janice in the 70s at the Royal Victoria Hospital.  Miriam Datel was the Head Nurse and she created the best working environment  I have ever had the privilege to be part of.  And Janice was a shining light.  She was enthusiastic, fearless, fierce,  and fun.
We stayed in contact until she was in Tulane and then  we lost touch, as you do.
But I carry wonderful memories of those days and of her shining light.
Mary (Dolan)

To Gwenn, David, Lucas and Jordan,
       It breaks my heart that you had to say goodbye to such a special person in your life.  You had such a wonderful, exciting and loving childhood with your big sister, Janice.  My earliest memories of Janice was when your father retired in 1970, and your family moved to Ryan Rd in Richmond from Shilo, Manitoba.  We had so much fun when Janice came home from University for the holidays.  We crowded into the living room, telling stories, listening to music, and singing our hearts out. There was you, Janice, me, Reg, Jackie-banana, Stormin' Norman, Billy, Robin, Little Linda, Leslie, Laurie and Brent , and of course the lovely hostess and host, Aileen and Clare. Your 21st surprise Birthday party and numerous other McCormick parties over the years kept us close. 
      One of the funniest memories of Janice, was when four of us girls  and  Jackie-banana when to Gastown one night, and ended up at the Blue Horizon Pub on Robson St.  Janice almost got us kicked out, as she was climbing over the back of the booth we were sitting in, to talk to some guys who were in the next booth.  She had the whole pub in histerics, and said her famous line of "who cares, we'll never see these people again!
       Our other famous memory of Janice was when she came to visit Gwenn and I when we were going to Langara College.  She mingled in the front hall and proudly introduced herself as "Gwenn's big sister" to anyone who would listen!  Gwenn was so embarrassed at first, but it was so funny to see her being so outgoing. There was Aileen and Clare's 50th/Gwenn and David's 25th/Janice and Gary's 10th/Gary and Gail's 30th Wedding Anniversaries.Janice's 50th Birthday party and Gwenn's 50th when Janice and The D.J. danced the can-can and sang New York, NY!
        Our beautiful Janice, who always smiled with her heart, is dancing and singing with your Angel-Eyes Daddy.  Wishing all the beautiful memories help
comfort you always.  Love, Lorraine
       

To  Aileen,
     It breaks my heart that you had to say goodbye to your precious first-born baby girl.  Some of the traits Janice inherited from you and Clare, were how loving, considerate and thoughtful she was. She had a clear sense of right and wrong.  She had a wonderful smile, a contagious laugh, and an hilarious sense of humour.  Janice was always warm and full of joy.  She was never boastful regarding her Academic achievements in life. She loved her family and friends, and was loyal to them all.  She was so gentle and loving to all her precious cats her shared her life.
     Our beautiful Janice, who always smiled with her heart, has thankfully been re-united with her Angel-Eyes Daddy, dancing and singing, as she always loved to do.
      Wishing all the beautiful memories you have of Janice, help comfort you at this time, and, always.
I love you so very much,
Lorraine Ferrari

To Gary,
      You and Janice were so fortunate to have found one another, to nurture such a beautiful friendship and such a strong marriage.  I so wish you could have grown old together in good health. 
       Our beautiful Janice, who always smiled with her heart, will be missed forever by you, and everyone who loved her.  Wishing all the beautiful memories you have of your loving wife, help to comfort you at this time, and, always.
 
In deepest sympathy,
Lorraine Ferrari

To Gary, Aileen, and Gwenn,
     The Celebration of Life in honour of Janice, was so beautiful and such a loving tribute to her. The following is a verse from a sympathy card  that I felt described Janice so well. " REMEMBERING JANICE"
     "Hers is a life to be celebrated, for who she was, and how she lived,, for the  for the dreams she followed, and the gifts she shared, for the relationships she nurtured, and the people she loved.  Everything that made her the love of your life, will live on in your heart to keep her close to you."
      "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure."
With much love,
Lorraine Ferrari

It is with enormous sadness that we say goodbye to my brilliant, beautiful, talented, funny sister Janice.  In the days before she died, she was surrounded by her family and closest friends, in the circle of all our love.  The night before she died we played guitar and sang all her favourite songs to her.  She was at home with all her comforts and her cat lying on her lap.  Her amazing husband Gary cared for her every need, right to her last moment.  She was a loving wife, cherished daughter, fabulous fun sister, amazing aunt, and the best friend anyone could hope to have.  Her talents were many...quilting, sewing, tailoring, knitting...her accomplishments...B N University Of Manitoba , M S N, university of British Columbia, and finally Ph D in 1997.  We were proud to call her Doctor.  She was the life of ANY party, could out dance anyone, and as my good friend Norm said.."she had that look in her eyes that said, I know you want to meet me, and it’s worth it".   In her last hours Gary, mom and I were at her side holding her hands, telling her that it was time to go to meet daddy, that he was holding that dance just for her.  I had the privilege and honour to have my hand over her heart as it took its last beat.  As David said so beautifully.."what a profound moment for Aileen, she was there when Janice took her first breath, and she was there when Janice took her last".  Our hearts are broken, we are devastated 💔 but we know it was time.  We will always love and miss you Janice, and now you are dancing with daddy.

What an incredibly profound loss - my sincere condolences to Mrs. McCormick, Gwenn (my “little sister”), Gary and the many that were fortunate enough to know Janice. 
I first met Janice in my final year of high school in Shilo and we became very special friends. For most of that year we were (what used to be called) “going steady”. I was hopelessly taken by her astonishing beauty - but that was only a small part of her radiant charm and grace. It was no surprise that she won the “Princess” category in the talent/beauty pageant that year. It was the height of my day to escort her home from her part/time job as a lifeguard at General Strange Hall pool  (note: it was a very cold winter in 1966).  I was so proud to take Janice to movies, our school and YPA dances and finally my date at my grade 12 graduation prom. Janice went on to attain the absolute highest of academic stature in the field of nursing. We are all, and will always be, so proud of her!
There is so much to be said of Janice - that any more will never be enough!
So! - Janice - a big Miigwetch (Thank You) for being such a beautiful person! I will always love you!
Your eternal friend!
- Wayne Helgason

Norm Sorel
Jan 20, 2019
Janice was one wonderful person to know. She was your breath of fresh air when she came into your life. I remember meeting her by accident years ago at Camp Shilo for only two hours....then accidentally meeting her years later when I met her family in Richmond. I never had the chance to spend a lot of time with her time wise, but those occasions reinforced all the stories that her family shared with me. I so enjoyed her loving personality and wish that time had not robbed us of all her unique gifts. Miss you dearly Janice.

I first met Janice and Gwenn in either 1959 or 1960  in Hemer,Germany when they were both under 10 years of age, when Clare picked me up at Menden,where I was a23/24 year old Sergeant in theRoyal Artillery he found out  I would be on my own over Christmas and invited me to his apartment to spend the holiday with his family which turned out to be an hilarious time with his family!! I later visited them all in Vancouver a few times and Gwenn was about 19  years old and Janice was away starting her nursing career,I did meet Janice again at her homeinBennet Rd.in Richmond B.C. For dinner and at her parents,also for a lovely meal,Janice was always a lively and bubbly person full of life but I had more to do with Clare, Aileen and Gwenn than with Janice.So I send my sincere condolences to all the family

Dear Gary and family,

I am heartbroken to upon hearing this very sad news. I did my PhD with Janice and spent a great deal of time with her for those two years of intense course work. What I remember best is her kindness, generosity of spirit,  great sense of humour and mostly her rigour and great intellect. We shared some great times and tons of laughs. She made everyone around her a better person. No doubt, she will be immensely missed.
My sincere condolences to you and to your family and friends.
Warmest regards,
Joanne Roussy

My most sincere condolences to Aileen, Gwenn, David, Lucas and Jordan, Gary and all of Janice's family.

I met Janice when we started grade 9 in Shilo, Manitoba. Janice, well....she shone. Not just because of her beautiful golden hair with silver threads running through it, but academically,  in sports, cheerleading, swimming...and her extraordinary sense of humour and fun. Serious, but not too serious.  She attended all of her classes, which I later realized is a good strategy. But man could she laugh! The only laugh louder than Janice's in our little movie theatre, was her mother's.  We all knew when the McCormicks attended...

The one area where I thought I might compete with Janice was in the partying department.  And while my family often provided the venue, no one could outdance,  outsing, or out vaudeville Janice!

Through the years of my close friendship with her "little" sister, I was kept informed of her many achievements and adventures. She always seemed to know where she was headed and to figure that out quickly if things hadn't gone as planned.

It is heartwarming to read the words of those who knew her academically and professionally, and  to realize that she remained feisty,  brilliant and very compassionate at the same time. A rare and precious combination. 

Gary I have never met you, but am struck by what a gift you were to each other. 

And now Janice, Peace, so well deserved and earned....you continue to shine, for those of us who were fortunate enough to have known you. 


My sincere condolences to Gary, Aileen, Gwenn and family. 
So sorry for your loss. Janice was such a well grounded brilliant person. It showed early in her life and I was more than impressed (actually envious)  when I was in high school with her. She understood how to get the most out of life even then and directed her energy in very productive ways. Time was never wasted by Janice in any endeavour she tackled and hence her incredibly accomplished life. What a mark she made.
When I was with Janice in some situation that made me tense or nervous she would whisper,  “these  people will never see us again .” Countless times I have repeated that phrase out loud or just in my mind and thought of her. It still serves me.
Bon Voyage Janice. Miss you deeply.


To Janice’s family, 

I send my deepest sympathies to you all. I had the pleasure of knowing Janice when we were both clinical nurse specialists  in nephrology in Vancouver, then later as doctoral students at UBC and faculty colleagues at UVic. Janice had such a great zest for life and was a wonderful, caring, compassionate nurse who put energy and enthusiasm into  everything she did. I enjoyed working with her very much and admired her dedication and commitment to children, families and, in later years, her students. She was always so very focused on bringing out the best in people and used her knowledge to improve the quality of life of those for whom she provided care.  I will miss her. 

To Janice’s family and friends,
I am sad to hear this news about Janice.  I was on faculty at UBC School of Nursing when Janice was a doctoral student.  I have not seen her for many years - but I want you to know that Janice was the kind of person who leaves a long-lasting impression.  She was very bright, exceptionally creative, and industrious with an infectious sense of humour.  I remember her fondly and send my sincere condolences to you all.  

Betty Davies

        I feel privileged to have known Janice --as a fellow student in the UBC Nursing PhD program and then as a teaching colleague at the University of Victoria School  of Nursing Lower Mainland campus.
        As all who knew her are well aware, Janice was an energetic and insightful friend and colleague, with a terrific sense of humour. I found her to be inspiring in her theoretical insights, passionate about improving the quality of nursing and health care, and compassionate toward all whom she encountered--humans as well as pets.
      Gary, bless you for ALL the support you provided Janice--I have fond memories of Janice calling you right after her PhD dissertation defence, thrilled to be able to tell you she had passed the examination!
      My sincere condolences to all of Janice's family members and friends,
      Paddy Rodney



I am so deeply saddened to hear that Janice has died.  I had the privilege of being her doctoral  supervisor at UBC and spending a great deal of time with her during that incredibly stimulating and dynamic time of her life. She loved the intense philosophical debates,  the poststructural deconstruction of the tenets of modern health care, and challenging the status quo in every possible direction.  I remember the day of her dissertation defense as the pinnacle of achievement after those years of hard work, a day in which she rose to the occasion of a  vigorous interrogation by her examiners and brilliantly argued her case.  In response to one particularly harsh question, she  retorted  with full ferocity "I defy you to find the word 'hypthesis' anywhere in this dissertation!" That remark brought the house down.

I know how much Janice loved her work at the University of Victoria School of Nursing, both the engagement with students and the scholarly activity.  We had expected to be able to continue collaborating on projects for many years to come, until the sad reality of her accident meant she had to conclude that part of her life. 

Gary,  I hope you know how much magic you brought into her universe,  and how much your caring meant to her through thick and thin.  She talked about you often, marvelling at how comfortable you were creating shared dreams and debating ideologies with your passionately critical feminist theorist wife. I honour you for the calm stability you brought into her world and the profound support you provided over the difficult times. 

We will light a candle in remembrance of this remarkable friend.

Sally Thorne, UBC School of Nursing.

Janice will always be remembered by me for her warm  heart, beautiful smile and zest for life. Sharing a shrimp boil, speaking "hungarian", smiling, dancing, laughing... inviting Joel and I for dinner when no other family lived in Vancouver, Janice always had an open heart. I have many fond memories of Janice that go back many, many, years. She will be missed by all who knew her! Condolences to everyone. xo

 Dear Mrs. McCormick, Gwenn, Gary and Family, 
My sincerest sympathy on the passing of Janice. I grew up with Janice and Gwenn in Shilo.  Janice was a beautiful person on both the outside and the inside. Such a talented and fun person. She was one of the best and taken from us too soon.

My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
God Bless
Bill Robertson
 

Janice was a mentor
My sweet cousins, Janice and Gwen would come to visit and would spend time with my sister Jen and I even though we were just kids. Always making us feel so special. I will always remember her big laugh, her smile, and her love of family and friends. My deepest condolences to my Aunty Aileen, my cousin Gwen and family and to her wonderful husband Gary. Our hearts are with you
Love Paddy 

Dear Aileen, Gwenn, David, Gary and family,

Please accept my sincerest sympathy for the loss of your beloved Janice. As an outside, family friend, I feel very fortunate to have traveled to Vancouver and to have met both Janice and Gary just prior to her accident.
While enjoying a fabulously fun dinner party at Aileen and Clare’s, which I shall never forget, I found her to be jovial, beautiful, and loving. It was obvious she adored her parents and family, and I know she will be greatly missed. 

With all my love,
Julie Westervelt

OBITUARY

Janice Lyn McCormick

August 2, 1951 – December 29, 2018

First Memorial Funeral Services

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