KENNEBUNK – Janet E. O’Donnell, 90, died peacefully at her residence at Huntington Common on July 28, 2021.

An only child, she was born on August 7, 1930, in La Crosse, Wis., daughter of William Fladlien and Emma Lokken.

Growing up in La Crosse, Janet graduated from Wisconsin State College in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in English. After a few years of teaching high school in the La Crosse area, she attended Bowling Green State University, where she received a master’s degree in English. In June 1959, she married fellow BGSU graduate student, Alfred F. O’Donnell, and in March 1960 her son, William Sean, was born.

From 1962 to 1972, Alfred’s job as an editor with the CIA’s open source information service FBIS took Janet and family to live in the Washington, D.C. area, which was followed by two international posts: the first in Saigon, Vietnam, from 1962-64; the second in Vienna, Austria, from 1966-69.

After vacation visits to southern Maine, Janet and family moved to Kennebunk in 1972. From 1972 to 1996, Janet was an English, journalism and drama teacher at Wells High School, where she was able to combine her talents for teaching and acting by directing many plays and musicals.

From 1973-78, Alfred and Janet owned and operated The Finishing Touch Fabric Shop in Kennebunk. Janet and Alfred were also active in community theater productions for The Porpus Players and the East Coast Theater Company. In the late 1980s, Janet’s “Small Things Considered” columns were published in the Biddeford Journal Tribune. During her retirement years, Janet held part-time jobs with USM’s Extended Teacher Education Program as well as Marlowe’s Gifts in Kennebunk, and continued her participation in the choir of St. David’s Episcopal Church.

Janet was predeceased by her husband Alfred in April 2015; and is survived by her son, William O’Donnell and his husband Kristian Kraai, of New York City.

A calling hour will be held Saturday, August 7, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m. Burial will be at a later date at Southern Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Springvale.

To share a memory or to leave a message of condolence, please visit Janet’s Book of Memories Page at http://www.bibberfuneral.com.

Arrangements are in the care of the Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, ME 04043. http://www.bibberfuneral.com.

If desired donations may be made in Janet’s memory to:

St. David’s

Episcopal Church,

138 York St.

Kennebunk, ME 04043 or to

The Good Shepherd

Food Bank.

3121 Hotel Rd.,

Auburn, ME 04210

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