Amherst, Janet Mary (Crozier) O’Rourke, 82, of Pelham, Massachusetts passed away on Monday, September 18, 2017 surrounded by her three loving daughters.

She was born on April 29, 1935 in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Canada to (the late) Robert Nelson Crozier and Carmen (Code) Crozier.  In 1940, the Crozier family moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, where Janet attended Classical High School, graduating in 1952.  She then attended Mount Holyoke College and graduated in 1956 with a B.S. in Biology.

While at Mount Holyoke, Janet met (the late) John Francis O’Rourke of Holyoke, Massachusetts.  They were married on June 18, 1957, at Wesley Methodist Church, in Springfield, Massachusetts.   Janet and John lived in New Haven, CT before settling in Amherst in 1962.  Janet worked as a lab assistant for several years at both Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts.  Upon John’s passing in 1974, Janet went back to school and earned a Masters of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts.   Janet then spent the rest of her career working at Mount Holyoke College as the Director of Laboratory Instruction for the Program in Biochemistry and retired in 1998.

Janet’s life was rich with many pastimes and interests.  She loved classical music and played the cello in many ensembles, including the Pioneer Valley Symphony, the orchestra of the Valley Light Opera and a string quartet comprised of dear friends that met every week.  Janet was also an avid traveler and she enjoyed trips with her friends to Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia.  She was an active member of her Mount Holyoke alumnae class, serving in various roles and committees and she always looked forward to her class reunions. Over the years, Janet had many animals and especially loved her dogs to whom she devoted many hours of training in obedience, tracking and agility classes.   She coopted her dogs in her many volunteer pursuits taking them to visit nursing homes and to the elementary schools in Holyoke where the children would practice reading to the poodles.

Janet is survived by her children Kathleen Armstrong and her husband Edward Armstrong, of the Plains, Virginia, Ann O’Rourke and her husband Camille Batarekh, of Wayland, Massachusetts, and Frances MacPhail of Turners Falls, Massachusetts; her three grandchildren Ian, John and Marc, of whom she was extremely proud; her brother, Robert E. Crozier of New York, NY; her nephews, Robert and Hugh Crozier; and, of course, her beloved poodles Archie and Grace.

Funeral Services will be Saturday September 23, 2017 at 10:00 AM at the Grace Episcopal Church, in Amherst. Burial will follow in Pratt Corner Rd. Cemetery, Shutesbury with a reception following at the Lord Jeffrey Inn, Amherst.

In lieu of flowers, her family suggests donations in Janet’s name to The Hospice Of The Fisher Home, www.fisherhome.org.