Janet Alice Russell (Craft), 63 passed away on July 24, 2024 in Middletown, NY. Born on February 17, 1961 in Tarrytown, NY to John and Janet Craft (Pollock), she grew up in Clinton Corners, NY and attended school in Pine Plains, NY.
Janet was most known for her passion, strength, and generous nature. She was a fighter who was surprisingly strong for her size. Although she was tough as nails, above all else Janet believed in the power of peace, love, and laughter. She absolutely loved to laugh & nobody made her do so more often or greater than her sons.
For a brief time, Janet lived in Poughkeepsie, NY and attended school for business administration. Later in life she returned to the Pine Plains community where she enjoyed working as part of the cafeteria staff in the local schools. The smiles she received when greeting & serving students gave her so much joy.
Once all of her children were out of the house, Janet moved to Glen Spey, NY and lived out her remaining years with the love of her life, Gus. Together they enjoyed peace and tranquility while being surrounded with the beauty of nature. For a few years, Janet worked at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and the Eldridge Diner where she continued her passion of serving up smiles to music fans and patrons alike.
Some of her favorite hobbies included; wood-burning & jewelry design, reading suspense & horror novels, crabbing at Croton-on-Hudson, singing karaoke, and playing video games, pool, horseshoes, & corn-hole. Janet also enjoyed tending to her gardens, camping, kayaking, searching for gems & arrowheads, and observing wildlife every chance she had. Her most cherished moments though were those spent with family. She adored attending holiday get-togethers and special occasions with her loved ones. She was always cheering for her family members & felt great pride in all of their accomplishments.
Janet wasn’t shy about sharing her feelings. As her breathing started to give out in the last few weeks, she made sure to call her family many times to tell them how much she loved them all. True to her nature, she was always giving to others, even in times when she had nothing. This intrinsic value was something she truly appreciated and liked about herself, and something for which she will be remembered most by many.
Janet is predeceased by her parents, ex husbands, and her youngest son Billy.
She leaves behind her beloved cat Fatboy with longtime friend & life partner, Gus Gilchrist of Glen Spey; her sons Teddy & Michael Mayhew & daughter-in-law-to-be Morgan Moore of Ancramdale, her daughter Amanda and son-in-law Nick Chieco of East Greenbush, and her 7 grandchildren; Collin, Billy, Brody, Lilly, Jackson, Skylar, & Brinley.
Heavily mourning her loss are also her siblings; Mary VanKeuren (Steve) of Clinton Corners, Bonnie Craft of Ancram, Johnny Craft of Clinton Corners, Chris Craft, & Beth Craft of Myrtle Beach, her extended family Courtney, Carl, & Mike T, along with many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Janet did not wish to be mourned in tears, but rather her life celebrated with laughter and smiles. A celebration of life will be organized & announced at a later date when all family members have the chance to attend
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