BOSTON – It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Janet M. O’Day of Wells. She died peacefully, at the age of 74, at Boston Medical Center on Oct. 8, 2021, following a stroke.

She was born in Quincy, Mass. to John and Madeline “Molly” (Jancaterino) Papile on Oct. 28, 1946, and adored growing up in her very large extended Italian family. Janet graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in Braintree and went on to study nursing at UMass – Amherst. She wanted to serve her country in Vietnam, and so in her junior year, she enlisted in the Navy Nurse Corps. Shortly thereafter, she was in a service-related automobile accident, suffered a broken neck, and spent an entire year in a rehabilitation hospital. Once she learned to walk again, she returned to school, graduated with her BSN, and went on to earn a master’s degree in rehab nursing and another master’s degree in public health. Soon after college she married Bob O’Day and they had a son, Colin. The marriage lasted 18 years.

Over the 50 years of her nursing career, she held numerous clinical and administrative positions in several Boston area hospitals. She served on the boards of several community health organizations, including those funded by Title III, Home Health Agencies, and Neighborhood Health Centers. Major accomplishments include authoring three chapters in the nursing text, Continuing Care: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Discharge Planning and creating the first step-down unit at the Deaconess Hospital.

In 1987, Janet began a relationship with the love of her life, Rosemary Ananis, who was living in Wells. In 1994 they were married in a large church wedding with family and friends in attendance, and the happy couple settled down in Wells. They were able to legally marry in 2014. In Maine, Janet again entered the healthcare field. Her last job before retiring was as a Clinical Content Specialist for Health Dialog.

Despite increasing disability (a consequence of her 1967 car accident) Janet volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and was very active in her church and faith life. While in Boston, she was an active member of Dignity. She was a founding member of the St. Francis of Assisi Faith Community in Wells and was dynamic in the formation of The Old Catholic Church, Province of the United States (TOCCUSA). Janet was the first chair of the TOCCUSA House of Delegates and held that position for 10 years. In 2014 she travelled to Utrecht, The Netherlands, representing TOCCUSA at the Union of Utrecht’s 125th anniversary Congress.

She was also involved in social advocacy. She attended the Million Woman March in Washington, D.C. in 1997 and was a fierce supporter of women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. She was a volunteer with Equality Maine and sat on the local Board of S.A.G.E., a national organization that provides advocacy, information, and resources for LGBTQ elders.

While Janet was incredibly accomplished, she will be most remembered for her personality. She always led with a beautiful smile. Her warmth, generosity, ability to listen, and welcoming heart were known to all who made her acquaintance. She was a gentle, loving soul who is mourned by everyone who knew her.

Throughout her life Janet maintained connections with those important to her including her childhood friends, Richard Giglio, Diana Christian, and Paula Russo; her SDT sorority sisters; and her nursing school classmates.

Janet is survived by her beloved, Rosemary Ananis; her sons Colin O’Day (partner Karen Locascio) and Branden Ananis (spouse Christina Hart); her sister, Dr. Lu-Ann Papile (partner Dan Behles), as well as a multitude of cousins, all of whom miss her dearly.

She was predeceased by her parents John and Molly Papile.

Visiting hours will be at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Kennebunk on Oct. 30 from 1 to 2:30 p.m., followed by a funeral Mass with military honors at 3 p.m. Burial at Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, Mass., next to her parents, will follow at a future date.

To honor Janet in a lasting way, a memorial scholarship fund to assist laity is being established by TOCCUSA.

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

Arrangements are in care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, ME 04043.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be sent to

TOCCUSA,

c/o Rev. Rosemary Burdick,

45 West Bay Rd.,

Prospect Harbor, ME 04669.

Copy the Story Link