Janice A Kirby, 77, of Rochester, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Thursday April 27th. She was pre-deceased by her beloved husband George A Kirby III.
Janice was born in New Bedford MA, the daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Veary) Stringer.
Jan met George at the Portuguese Feast in 1963 and it was love at first sight, or as she so often said when reminiscing about ‘Kirb’, ‘he took my breath away’. They married in the mid-sixties and raised their family in Rochester MA. Jan worked alongside her family as clerk at George Kirby Jr Paint Company. Janice loved country life, cooking, music and gardening. Over the years she had many loyal dogs. Jan was known as the ‘Plant Lady’ when she’d sell houseplants out of her greenhouse and the ‘Soup Lady’ when she’d deliver soup to Rochester’s elders and neighbors. Jan was fun-loving and witty and happiest spending time at home visiting and laughing with family and friends. She had a unique sense of humor, a great laugh and loved scallops and Chinese food. Janice was especially fond of Sundays spent with her best friend, the late Elaine Gifford. Jan was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.
Survivors include: three children, George Kirby IV and wife Shari (Meyer) of Rochester, Michelle Kirby and husband Andy Hammerman of Ecuador and Rochester, Dean Adam Kirby of Auburn, MA, and Kathy (Stringer) who Janice and George raised, and husband Matt Brady of Auburn, MA; four grandchildren, George V and Yary (Moeuy) Kirby and great granddaughter Kaliyan, Zachary and Erica (Vozzella) Kirby, Samuel Kirby, and Katherine Grace Kirby. Siblings Dan (wife Linda Morgan) Stringer, Cheryl Stringer, sister-in-law Marie (Blanchard) Stringer (wife of the late James Stringer), Meryden Kirby (late husband Bruce Hartshorn) and Ruth-Ann Kirby Flynn (husband Charles Flynn). Three nieces, Shawn-Ann Schafler, Dana-lyn Hartley, Jessica Phaneuf and four nephews Mark Hartley, Matthew Hartley, Jonathan Stringer, Michael Stringer and many great nephews and nieces.
The Kirby family would like to thank Southcoast Visiting Nurse Association/ Hospice for their professional and compassionate care and support.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the First Congregational Church of Rochester on Saturday May 13th at 10 am. Visiting hours were held Tuesday May 2nd at Fairhaven Funeral Home.
