Janet Fraser – Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Life for Janet Fraser will be held at Vancouver Unitarians on Saturday, March 29, at 3 pm.

This service will be live-streamed from this page so please come back on March 29 and click on the video below.

Music and a slideshow will start at 2:30pm.

Obituary

At the start of the winter season, the curtains gently closed on the bright and sunny life of Janet Fraser. She was born in Vancouver, a city to which she dedicated her considerable energy.

Until the end, she spoke adoringly of her parents Jack and Margaret and her sister Margo. When she married David Fraser, she joyfully embraced his siblings and their families. She described her marriage as a “passionate love affair” that led to three children, Angus, Jennifer, and Jessica, their partners Sally, Tom, and Dafna, along with grandchildren Montgomery, Angus-James, Auden, and Ivy. Janet threw herself into being a mom and a grandma with her signature humour, creativity, and immense generosity, and she and David always found time to be with their cherished friends and to travel the world.

Janet was honoured and loved for her commitment to civic duty, good governance, care for those in need, inclusivity, the rights of women and passion for gardening.

Her defining traits were staunch integrity, persuasive communication, and an ability to not just imagine a better world, but to roll up her sleeves and make it happen. Whether being one of the first directors of the Women’s Network, co-founding the Women’s National Retreat, running award-winning courses on women and business for Continuing-Ed at UBC, consulting on Vancouver’s Childcare Endowment Fund, chairing the board of the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society, or working tirelessly as a consultant on major projects, she dedicated herself to creating sustainable, fair, and caring communities for all. Career highlights include chief of staff for Mayor Gordon Campbell and also Mayor Philip Owen and joining then provincial Liberal Leader, Gordon Campbell, as chief of staff for the Official Opposition.

In 2013, she was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to community. Janet’s community included flowers. She co-founded the first Vandusen Plant Sale to raise funds for the city’s botanical garden. Her first job after raising her children was at Vandusen’s MacMillan Bloedel Place, her own flowers were regular features of the city’s garden tours, and she earned her certification as a Master Gardener post-retirement.

On many mornings, you could find Janet and David in their housecoats, coffee in hand, exclaiming in wonder at the blooming flowers of their garden, truly a reflection of Janet’s beautiful soul.

Janet’s final years were complicated by dementia, which she also took on with characteristic aplomb, and we would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to the many family members and friends who kept her close.

A special thanks needs to be given to Kim, Maria and Kirra and the Geriatric Psychiatry Outreach Team who’s love and care for her will never be forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Janet’s name to Pacific Immigrant Resources Society.