Kostash, Janice Mary
14 April 1946 Edmonton – 27 September 2024 Ottawa
Younger daughter of William and Mary (nee Maksymiuk) Kostash, cherished sister to Myrna Kostash, and beloved wife of John Hannigan, Janice Kostash passed away from after-effects of a stroke in her 78th year. Also grieving her loss are cousins Elizabeth Kostash, Karen Wynnychuk, Taylore Greene, Lydia Semotiuk, and Verna Semotuk. And in Zabolotiv, Ukraine, the family of Petro and Maria Kosovan. She leaves a close circle of friends to whom she tightly cleaved.
With degrees in Spanish Language and Literature (University of Alberta honours) and Latin American Studies (Tulane University), Janice began a long, varied and distinguished career in the federal public service, admired for her professionalism and appreciated for her warmth and kindness towards her colleagues. Her last executive position was with the Environmental Assessment Agency, which she managed with elan and genuine pleasure.
In retirement, Janice and John moved from Ottawa to a country home in Lanark County, Ontario. Characteristically, Janice volunteered for and financially supported local women’s organizations and was a longtime donor to national LEAF (Women’s Legal, Education and Action Fund). She especially enjoyed her volunteer work in adult education, and at a long-term care home as a friendly visitor. She was an enthusiastic supporter of the Metropolitan Opera Members’ Guild and the Met Opera’s live productions in HD at a local cinema. Most recently, Janice and John had moved into a retirement community in Carleton Place.
Raised in a Ukrainian-Canadian family proud of its ancestral roots, Janice was also a wide-ranging traveller in South America and much of Europe. She was deeply attached to the landscapes and history of the Scottish Highlands and travelled there several times as though she had found a second homeland.
In the words of Scotland’s Bard, Robert Burns, with Janice as dedicatee:
To see her is to love her,
And love but her forever;
For nature made her what she is,
And never made an other.
Janice’s family extends their deepest gratitude to everyone in the neurology department at The Ottawa Hospital (Civic Campus) who cared for Janice during the past seven years. Their professionalism and compassion are greatly appreciated.
A visitation will be held at C.R. Gamble Funeral Home and Chapel, 127 Church St., Almonte, Ontario on Friday, October 4th from 11:00am to 1:00pm, followed by a funeral service and a light lunch. Donations may be made in memory of Janice to the Almonte General Hospital and Fairview Manor Foundation.
Condolences & Tributes: www.crgamble.com
