October 30, 1937 - June 13, 2022
On June 13, 2022, Janice Margaret (Day) Raitt passed away peacefully at the Haven Hill Retirement Centre at the age of 84 with family by her side. Predeceased by her loving husband, Henry 'Hank' Raitt, only three weeks earlier after 66 years of marriage, she has joined him on their next adventure. A true love story.
Born in Roblin Manitoba on October 30th, 1937, she moved to BC at a young age and called the interior home. She was the core of our family.
In her younger years in Manitoba, Janice took pride in traveling to school in a covered horse-drawn sleigh with a wood stove. Their family moved to Naramata, Quesnel and then back to Naramata where she graduated from Pen Hi and was Peach Festival Princess in 1955. She married Hank and raised her family on an orchard in Naramata before moving to Summerland where she was the bookkeeper for their heating/air conditioning business. In 1986, they set off in a new direction, purchasing and operating the Westbridge General Store and post office. They retired there in the late 1990s and built their dream home, complete with a large sewing room for Janice. During this time, they spent many winters in Arizona. After Hank's stroke in 2006, they returned to Summerland to be close to family. Janice became central in the lives and activities of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who knew her as 'GG'. In her later years, as her challenges with dementia became apparent, she and Hank moved into the Haven Hill Retirement Centre together.
Janice is survived by her children, Holly Colquhoun (Norm Coffey), Greg (Shannon) Raitt, Warren (Shannon) Raitt, and Robyn Thompson; her grandchildren, Jeff Colquhoun and Garett Colquhoun (Sarah Barr); Joel (Stephanie) Raitt and Mikaela (Kevin) McNally; Daniel (Alex) Raitt and Maria Raitt; Warwick, Eric, and Derian Thompson; her Great Grandchildren, Hawk and Tiger Colquhoun; Luna, Azalea, and Fern McNally; sister Gwen (Dave) Johnstone, sister-in-law Audrey Day, and predeceased by her brother Ron Day and sister, Anne (Al) Logie.
Always a people person, Janice was a volunteer wherever she lived, active in the figure skating club, the March of Dimes, Women's Institute, Brownies, school functions, and earning a lifetime honorary member of the Summerland Minor Hockey Association. As well, Janice was an incredible gardener, baker, crafter, and seamstress. Her handmade clothes and quilts will always be treasured. She loved to curl, golf, camp, fish, cross-country ski and walk in the outdoors. Organizing family or large community gatherings by cooking homemade meals was what brought her the most joy. She was a mother figure to many people. As a family we will carry her values forward into future generations by remembering her holiday traditions and cooking her cherished recipes as we spend quality time together.
Some of our last family activities were enjoyed at Agur Lake Camp where Janice walked by Hank's wheelchair along the nature trails and watched the kids fish off the dock. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Agur Lake Camp Society in Summerland to support the nonprofit so that other families can go there to create memories in the safe accessible environment. The family would like to thank the staff of the Haven Hill Retirement Centre for their care and respect during her final years.
As Janice wished, family and friends will gather at a later date to eat good food, share pictures, and reminisce together.