Ms. Janet Adrienne Bewell

Obituary

With heavy hearts, we announce Janet’s passing. As a child, Janet experienced life in many places: spending her infant/toddler years living in a graduate student residence in Irvine, California; being doted on in her preschool years by undergraduates at Yale University (as we lived in a residence above the university dorms); taking a six-month sojourn to London, UK, during the Yale years; and moving to Orangeville, where she benefitted from growing up in a small, rural Ontario town. There, Janet made friendships that truly lasted a lifetime: sisters and brothers united by more than blood, with loyalty and love that continues to run incredibly deep to this day. She went on to receive a BSc in Psychology and Sociology from U of T, where she was active in student government and drama at Victoria College. Janet was always gifted in her ability to understand human nature and behaviour, and in her capacity to connect with, and truly feel into, the unspoken parts of another person. Had she chosen to stick with psychology, she would have been an outstanding therapist. However, Janet also had a passionate calling towards the visual and per formative arts, which led her to complete a second undergraduate degree in Interactive Design at OCAD University. This education made her uniquely suited for a career in the field of experiential design, which is a human-centered approach to designing spaces that create meaningful, multi-sensory experiences for the humans interacting with them. In 2013, Janet moved (back) to London, UK. She always loved big cities, and her employment there also allowed her to travel extensively. This was a winning combination because the number of moves in Janet’s early life, combined with her absolutely unique and magnetic personality, made her adept at making new friends in every place she found herself in. However, it must be said that Janet didn’t just make “friends” in the normal sense of the word. If she pulled you into her orbit, you were part of her family. Janet is survived by her father and mother, Alan and Sharon; her sister, Carmen Weiss (Jonathan) and their children (Justin and Avalon); and a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and their families, not to mention the myriad friends who are as much siblings as any shared blood would confer. Janet loved life and valued her friends deeply. She brought a unique kind of light and love into this world. We already miss her extraordinary presence: the pleasure of her conversation and stories, the strength and agility of her mind, her independent spirit, her often boisterous humour, and her deep caring for others.

We will remember her always.

Two celebrations of Janet’s life are being planned. The first will be a “wake” held at the Fox and Grapes, 9 Camp Rd, London SW19 4UN, UK, on Sunday, September 14th, from 3:30 – 6:00 pm. A memorial service will take place on Saturday, October 4th, at 11 a.m. at the Cardinal Funeral Home (Annette), 92 Annette St, Toronto.

For further information, please contact [email protected].

Visitation

Service

Cremation