Janet Germaine

September 14, 2021

Janet Germaine of West Haven, Connecticut, passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on September 14, 2021. She was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 16, 1936 and was the youngest child of Samuel and Gertrude Weinstein.

Janet moved to New

Haven when she was very young and was a graduate of Hillhouse High School. It was there that she met the love of her life, Donald. They had a wonderful courtship and were a very social couple with many wonderful friends. They were married on October 30, 1955 after Donald graduated from UConn. After several years of working for the telephone company in New Haven, she became a full-time mother upon the birth of her first son in 1957. Another son in 1960 and then a daughter in 1962 followed as well as their first house in Hamden. Then there was a move to a bigger house in Woodbridge in 1968. It was aptly name “The Brierwood” because of the hotel-like existence it took on due to so many relatives and friends staying over. This was because of Janet’s welcoming and loving nature, she wanted everyone to feel at home.

“Meemz”, as she was affectionately known by her children and grandchildren, was a loving, thoughtful and caring woman who always put her family first. With Donald having irregular work hours when the children were younger, she was the one who took care of most of her children’s needs. She truly loved all of the “duties” of being a mother, whether it be playing with her kids, reading to her kids, helping her kids with school homework, watching her kids’ many basketball, baseball, football games, attending her kids’ piano concerts or helping out at Brownies events. All of her caring and loving was then naturally extended to her six grandchildren. She was overjoyed to do the same things with them that she did with her own children.

Janet was involved with the Congregation Mishkan Israel Sisterhood for many years, a service organization for which she went on to serve as Co-President.

She was named a “Woman of Valor” in 1984 because of this service. She was an avid reader and volunteered often at the Woodbridge Library. She loved to play golf and mah-jong with her girlfriends. She enjoyed being a UConn sports fan along with her family. Janet and Donald also embraced travelling the world with many of their friends from which they had wonderful memories.

Janet is survived by her loving husband of nearly 66 years, Donald, a son Steven Germaine (Alisa), a son Mark Germaine (Stacey), a daughter Joanne Germaine (Jules Yasuna), six grandchildren (Jamie (Spenser) Germaine, Haley Germaine, Adam Germaine, Oliver Yasuna, Eli Yasuna, Marina Yasuna), three great-grandchildren (Delaney Germaine, Harrison Germaine and Bradley Yasuna) and her nieces and nephews from Florida whom she loved as her own. She was predeceased by her sister and brother-in-law, Dolores and Jack Spivack and her brother and sister-in-law, Russell and Estelle Weinstein.

A graveside funeral service will be held at Mishkan Israel Cemetery, 701 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, CT on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 2 p.m. A celebration of life will be held after the service at the home of Mark and Stacey Germaine, 6 Wilbraham Court, Branford, CT.

The family wishes to extend its sincerest thanks to Janet’s most recent caregivers at Seacrest Retirement Center, St. Raphael’s Hospital and Connecticut Hospice as well as her original caregivers, Marvett, Dahlia and Tammy.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mishkan Israel Nursery School Fund, 785 Ridge Road, Hamden, CT 06517 or to the Woodbridge Town Library, 10 Newton Road Woodbridge, CT 06525. The Weller Funeral Home, 424 Elm St., New Haven is in charge of arrangements. To sign the online guestbook, please visit wellerfuneralhome. com.