It is with sadness and regret that we announce the peaceful passing of Janet Mabel Hammell on February 11, 2013, in Jasper, Alberta.
Born in 1922, the daughter of a railroader (William Walter Ruddy) and a teacher (Florence Mabel Newell), Jan grew up in Hanna, Alberta.
After graduation she moved to Calgary where she met and married a young, handsome airman in 1943. She lived in Jasper during the war, where her first child was born, and then moved east when her husband came back from overseas.
After 25 years in the east (Toronto, Maple, Sudbury and Montreal) and three more children, she moved back to Calgary with her husband and youngest child.
Jan's extensive volunteering in Montreal and Calgary, over many years, ultimately saw her rise to the position of Director of Volunteer Services for Bethany Care Centre in Calgary. After years of committed service, she retired to Victoria in 1989. Jan's spirituality blossomed in Victoria, but when the city got "too noisy” Jan moved back to Jasper in 2009, joining her brother Bill Ruddy in the Alpine Summit Lodge.
Jan is predeceased by her parents and two brothers, Jack (Doris) and then Bill (Ev). She is survived by, and will be greatly missed by her sister Margie (George) and brother Dick (Doreen), as well as by her children Randy (Lois), Derek, Nora (Nathalie), Rex (Laura) and foster daughter Wennie (Wing), and by many beloved nieces and nephews.
She was intensely interested in the development and lives of her grandchildren (Andrea, Eric, Jacob, Megan, Bonita, Jackie and Chris) and her great-grandchildren (Curran, Kyla and Freya).
Friends and family, including the wonderful Jasper Ruddys, celebrated Jan's amazing life, Irish-wake style, on February 17, 2013, in Jasper....Sad as we may be, Jan looked forward to her next journey.
To send condolences on line, please visit our website at www.edsonfuneralhome.com
Jasper Park Funeral Services, 1 - 780 - 852 - 3699
"The Foothills Memorial Chapel"
"Serving West Central Alberta for more than 63 years"