Birth Oct. 13, 1943
Laconia, NH
Death Dec. 24, 2024
Burlington, VT
Details of service
A Memorial Service for Jan — with reception following — will be held on Saturday, the 4th of Jan., 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at Richmond Congregational Church, 20 Church St, Richmond, VT. The service will also be live-streamed via Facebook at facebook.com/rccucc, and recorded for later viewing as well. The family invites you to visit www.vtfuneralhomes.com for further updates and to share your memories. Inurnment will be private and held in the spring.
Donations may be made by check to: Richmond Congregational Church United Church of Christ, P.O. Box 302, Richmond VT, 05477, or Richmond Community Senior Center at https://www.cscvt.org, or the local charity of your choice.
South Burlington — Janice (Jan) Eileen Chase Chandler passed away suddenly and peacefully on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024, surrounded by her loving family at the age of 81. She was born in Laconia, NH on October 13, 1943, second daughter of the late Ralph and Jeanne (Washburn) Chase. Janice married Jay M. Chandler on December 29, 1962 in Bradford, Vermont. They were married nearly 53 years when he passed away in 2015.
Jan spent most of her life in Vermont, attending schools in both Orford, NH and Bradford, VT. She graduated from Bradford Academy in 1961 and attended Nurses Training for one year at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital School of Nursing at Dartmouth College.
She and Jay met in Bradford and were married a year later. They followed Jay’s career as a teacher with short stints living in Fairlee and Derby Line, VT, before settling in Richmond. Jan and Jay bought a piece of land on Hillview Road, with a scenic view of Camel’s Hump. Here, Jay designed and built their house on the hill where they raised their family and lived happily for forty-five years.
Jan was a loving life partner to Jay and remained a steady force by his side, as they navigated and overcame many health and life challenges. She was a selfless, guiding soul of a mother to her three children and a vivacious, adored grandmother to her grandchildren. She was a compassionate, thoughtful, loyal and fun-loving friend with a vibrant personality and curious nature.
Jan was a creative cook, homemaker, talented seamstress, craftsperson and an avid gardener. She was a member of the Richmond Congregational Church for over fifty years, serving in various roles, most notably on the Rummage Sale and annual Chicken Pie Supper teams. She was active in the Richmond community, joining groups that ranged from “Home Dem” in the early years, to weekly yoga and exercise classes, Garden Club and P.E.O. International, as well as Meals on Wheels. Jan was a prolific writer with a gift for the written word. She loved music and the arts, and welcomed every chance to attend live performances and concerts.
Jan and Jay enjoyed traveling and exploring together, including an Alaskan cruise with her siblings, visiting several National Parks out west, traveling in England and Scotland when their son, Doug, lived there, trips to Myrtle Beach and Florida to visit siblings and close friends, in addition to Maine, California, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, among others. Jan also enjoyed memorable trips with her daughters and granddaughters to New York City and Italy, as well as countless sister trips and adventures with all her siblings – making precious memories for all.
Jan was a stay-at-home mother and housewife until her children were all in school, also caring for other children during that time. She then entered the workforce outside the home, mostly in customer service and executive assistant roles. Initially she worked closer to home in Richmond (as the parent with the “more flexible” job), then worked stints in retail at Daffodil and Elke’s women’s clothing stores in the Burlington area (which benefited from her flair for fashion). She then worked at IBM (starting in the cafeteria and then moving to executive assistant in a tech group), and ultimately retired from her favorite job at Timberlane Dental Group in South Burlington, where she worked as a receptionist/administrative assistant for twelve years. Jan even picked up a side hustle in her retirement years, dabbling in Longaberger product sales. She developed lasting friendships with many of her work colleagues.
Jan faced mental health challenges that gradually changed her relationship-centric personality and required all of her strength to push through her last eight years of life. She was especially courageous in facing these changes in herself and accepting the necessity to reorganize her world, making it smaller and focusing on day-to-day living. In 2021, Jan moved to an apartment in Independent Living at the Residence at Quarry Hill (a Senior Living Community in South Burlington, VT), where she settled into daily routines and activities with new friends, each facing their own challenges later in their lives. She was resilient in embracing her new home and community living, while still accepting her new self. She met many people while at Quarry Hill – both residents and staff – and was enriched by each one of them.
Janice is survived by her two daughters, Lesley Jeanne Alexander and husband Paul of Waterbury Center, Carla Jan Chandler and husband Chuck Landry of Meriden, NH, and her “#1 son”, Douglas Jay Chandler and wife Michelle of Huntington, four adored grandchildren, Chelsea Alexander and her fiancé Brian Dimka, Jordynn (Chandler) Brisbin and her husband, Travis, Lauren Alexander, and Jay L. Chandler; and her cherished great-granddaughter, Ivy Jay Brisbin. Also, three sisters (who were her best friends), Charlotte Chase, Muriel Nutting and husband Lester, Terry Chase and husband Stephen Lang, brother Dean Chase and wife Debbie, brother-in-law, Paul Chandler, and wife Beverly, sister-in-law, Catherine Chandler, her beloved aunt Joyce Flint, many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families. Jan was predeceased by her devoted husband Jay M. Chandler, along with her parents and others very dear to her.
The family would like to thank the nurses and doctors at UVMMC who were involved in Jan’s care after she suffered a massive heart attack. The UVM Rescue, Cardiology Team, and ICU staff were incredibly compassionate — enabling us to spend remarkable hours of clarity with our treasured matriarch as she transitioned.
“May her spirit fly with the angels without anguish but with abundant freedom.”
Read the story on VTDigger here: Janice Chandler.