Mrs. Janet Beatrice Marsh (nee Howard)

Janet (Jan) Marsh died peacefully on December 8, 2011 at the age of 76. She is survived by her loving husband and best friend F. James (Jim) Marsh and her wonderful girls; Caren Holtby, and husband Alan Hannebauer; Ann Holtby and granddaughter Breton Roy; Robin Marsh and granddaughter Rebecca. She will be sadly missed by her stepson Rob Marsh and wife Barbara Stoneham, and their five daughters Sophie, Nathalie, Emiline, Addie and Katie; by her stepdaughter Julia Marsh and her sons Merrick and Jake Read; by her loving sister Susan and her husband Karl Lindell and their family; and by her lifelong caring friends. Born in Toronto in 1935, Jan grew up happily with her parents Louie and Bee Howard and younger sister Susan. She attended Forest Hill Public School and graduated from Branksome Hall. Jan and Jim began their adventures together in 1966 living first in Niagara-on-the-Lake, later in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, and before and after for many years in Toronto. Their ultimate adventure began when they moved aboard their Niagara 35 sailboat in the mid 90’s. The Kencheri became their full-time home for more than 10 years. While docked summer and winter at the Scarborough Bluffs Marina, the Kencheri offered friends and family summer day sails and some of the most memorable Christmases ‘onboard’. Ultimately, Jan and Jim lived their dream and sailed off to discover the Bahamian Abaco Islands. Returning four years later they settled in Paisley, Ontario and participated actively in the community. Jan established Paisley’s first community garden, was a regular participant of the Saugeen Trading Company and worked tirelessly to help beautify the town’s historic bridges. She was grateful for the open heartedness of the new friends she made in Grey Bruce County. Janet was a student of nature and a professional artist throughout her life. In the early years she captured the young faces of children in pastel drawings, and later created large acrylic commissioned portraiture works. Once aboard Kencheri, she retired her large canvases and perfected woodcut print making, a complicated relief printing technique inspired by Japanese woodblocks from the 18th century. Her adventures aboard Kencheri, and more recently from her country life, offered her endless inspiration for her vivid woodcuts of birds, fish, sea and landscapes. Jan loved ‘free’ flowers picked along roadsides and from her magnificent gardens. She loved the birds that came to visit her birdfeeder in the early morning. She loved a good book and discussion, but most of all she loved her children and her soul mate Jim. Her family is thankful for the gifts she shared, her wry sense of humour and artistic perspective that connect us with the beauty of the world. Her work is shown at the Rebecca Gallery in Toronto, and a special woodcut retrospective is being planned for the New Year. In Janet’s honour, please consider, a donation to the World Wildlife Fund, where she proudly worked for many years. http://wwf.ca/donate/