Obituary of Janet L. Burrell

Janet Lynn Zemke Burrell passed away peacefully in her home with her husband John Burrell by her side and surrounded by family on April 27^th after a long battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Jan was born in Manchester, CT on October 23^rd, 1956 to Tom and Jane Zemke (McNamara). She grew up in a loving household with her older siblings Barbara and Mike where she quickly developed a reputation for being kind, caring and free-spirited. Jan became a staple in the community by babysitting many of the local children and was able to save enough money to buy her own record player and fund her first of two cross-country trips with her lifelong friend Kimberly.

Jan never let her hippie tendencies get in the way of her work ethic though. She married her husband John in 1982 and together they started a successful business testing drinking water around Eastern Connecticut. Jan then went back to school to get her bachelor's degree before starting her own company, TNC water testing, doing state quarterly testing for businesses in the area.

Work never got in the way of family however as she always put family first. She gave birth to two sons, Matthew and Kevin, to whom she was completely devoted and forever proud. She used her role as a mother, aunt, and grandmother to teach kindness, joy and service to others. Jan was also a loyal daughter and her love for exploration inspired her parents to travel and she accompanied them on many trips. She visited 49 states in total and could be as comfortable walking barefoot on the beautiful beaches of Vieques with her sister as she could be taking in the sights and sounds of Port-au-Prince. Her best memories were always from yearly family trips to Cape Cod, Squam Lake and her favorite place, Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine.

Jan will be immensely missed by her family and all those who knew her and is welcoming those who passed before her with her perpetually warm smile. She received so much excellent care during the last seven years and a special thanks to her caregivers Delores, Marci, Eva, and so many others who helped prolong her quality of life.

A memorial service to celebrate Jan’s life is planned at a later date. Donations can be made in her name to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.