Janet D. (Byrnes) Mack
MACK, Janet D. (Byrnes), 60, NEW BOSTON, NH, October 17, 2015. Funeral services will be held Friday, October 23, at 11 a.m., in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Milford, NH. Arrangements are under the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, Milford, NH.
NEW BOSTON, NH — Janet D. (Byrnes) Mack, 60, resident of New Boston, NH and beloved wife of Joseph A. Mack, died on October 17, 2015 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
She was born in Needham, MA on March 27, 1955, a devoted daughter of Alfred Byrnes and Norma Carolyn Coleman. She was raised and educated in Amherst, NH and graduated from Milford High School, Class of 1973 and earned her BSN from the University of Texas-Austin.
Janet worked as an oncology nurse for 32 years and had been employed at St. David’s Hospital in Austin, TX for many years and The Aroostook Medical Center, Presque Isle, ME where she was the head oncology nurse. Janet took great pride in being the only certified oncology nurse in Northern Maine. In addition, she was also a homecare hospice nurse and a longtime member of the Oncology Nursing Society.
She relocated to New England and lived and worked in Presque Isle, Maine and has made her home in New Boston since 2009.
Janet was passionate about dance, theater and performing arts. She participated in many theatrical productions. Janet was an avid reader of history and science fiction and enjoyed reading the same books as her siblings and sharing their thoughts with each other about the particular book. She also enjoyed knitting, traveling to the British Isles, Europe, Alaska and the Caribbean.
Janet was a loving mother and grandmother, a kind and compassionate woman who devoted her life to caring for others.
Family members include her beloved husband, Joseph A. Mack, MD of New Boston, NH; her mother, Carolyn Coleman of Nashua, NH; her father and step-mother, Alfred and Gail Byrnes of Livermore, CA; two children, Walter E. Scarborough of Austin, TX and Richard G. Byrnes of Portland, ME; five step children and their spouses, Adam and Stacey Mack of Charleston, SC, Jennifer and John Baker of Ponce Inlet, FL, Laurel Stearns, Derek and Sheri Stearns, Chad and Gina Stearns, all of Austin, TX; three grandchildren, Chloe Baker, Flynn and Ellie Stearns; a sister and brother-in-law, Jayne and David Wing of Amherst, NH; two brothers, Al Byrnes of Windham, NH and Bob Byrnes of Kittery, ME ; two step brothers, Sean Gorman and his wife Stephanie of Wilton, NH, Michael and Heather Gorman of CA; three nieces, a nephew, several aunts, uncles and cousins including a special cousin, Ed Fulton; dear and lifelong friends, Karen Mitchell, Tina Woods Nellis, Mark Suomala, Jeff Davis, Doug Brown, Al Leduc, Sandi Pelletier and Warren Munzel.
Visiting hours are on Thursday, October 22 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 11:00 am in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 20 Elm Street, Milford, followed by cremation. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Janet Byrnes Mack Foundation, P.O. Box 120, New Boston, NH 03070. Arrangements are in the care of Smith & Heald Funeral Home, Milford, NH. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please go to www.smith-heald.com.
