Janet P. (Pero) Wickwire
Janet P. (Pero) Wickwire, 88, of Walpole and formerly of Manchester, CT. died on Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at Keene Center Genesis in Keene. She passed peacefully after a period of declining health.
Janet was born the daughter of the late Jessie (Spence) and Edward Pero on November 6, 1928 in Winthrop, Massachusetts. She was educated in Winthrop and graduated from Winthrop High School class of 1946. She then went on to earn an Associates of Science in Dental Hygiene from Forsythe School of Dentistry class of 1948.
On April 1, 1951 she exchanged vows with James D. Wickwire at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Winthrop, MA. They were married with family and friends in attendance. Sadly, Jim passed on September 12, 2012 after sixty-one years of marriage.
She worked as a Dental Hygienist at the dental practice of Drs. Hebert and Stevens in Manchester, CT. for fifteen years before retiring in 1985. Prior, she had the hardest job in the world. She was a stay at home mom raising her children and making sure they had what was needed to advance in life.
Janet loved gardening, skiing, bird watching, and reading, and was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. She was a longtime member of St. Johns Episcopal Church in Walpole. In addition to devoting her time to St. Johns, Janet volunteered at the Bridge Memorial Library in Walpole, and the Maplewood Nursing Home in Westmoreland. When her children were young, Janet spent countless hours volunteering at Bowers Elementary School in Manchester, CT. Previously, Janet was an active member of St. Marys Episcopal Church in Manchester and St. Peters Episcopal Church in South Windsor, CT. Janet was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, and aunt. She loved her family, had a wonderful sense of humor, and always found a reason to be optimistic. Janet was unfailingly kind and self-sacrificing to the end.
In addition to her husband and parents, Janet was predeceased by her sister, Margaret Penney. Mrs. Wickwire is survived by her children: James D. Wickwire, Jr. and his wife, Susan, of Redding, CT,. David Wickwire and his wife, Mary, of Daniel Island, S.C., Jeanne McBride and her husband, Michael, of Walpole, and Andrew Wickwire and his wife, Nancy, of Bedford, NH. She also leaves six grandchildren, five great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
A celebration of Janets life will be held on May 20, 2017, at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Walpole. Burial will be private. Donations can be made in memory of Janet P. Wickwire to: St. Johns Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 179, Walpole, NH. 03608 or to: Norris Cotton Cancer Center, D-H/Geisel Office of Development, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001. All services are under the care of Cheshire Family Funeral Chapel and Crematories, 44 Maple Ave. Keene, NH. 03431. WWW.cheshirefamilyfh.com.
