Today I learned that Janice Albert, formerly of Oakland and later Middletown, Connecticut, passed away. She contacted me in February to let me know that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and we corresponded while she began her treatment.
Janice and I met through the Green Street Arts Center. She was one of the first volunteers I began working with who was not a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend. She was just someone new to town who was looking for a way to connect with the community. And she was a true inspiration. A writer and photographer, she played a huge role in starting some of Green Street’s community-based programs. She had tremendous talent, and despite the physical limitations brought on by aging, she was always in good spirits and found many ways to be a true helpful presence.
One of my many memories of Janice is when we started the North End Grid Project, a photography project that asked photographers to explore a much-maligned, under appreciated and often misunderstood neighborhood of Middletown. Janice was determined to get a certain photograph that involved wading into mud and she got stuck! She got her shot, though.
Janice also wrote an amazing short story about visiting a graveyard with her siblings. I wish I had a copy. I recorded her reading it and will have to see if I can locate the audio file.
I have been fortunate in my life not to have too many people close to me pass away, or perhaps it is the unfortunate result of moving so often and not having a wide circle of truly intimate friends and family. Janice was loved by many, and I feel very lucky to have met and known her through the arts.
RIP Janice, you are deeply missed.
Hi Lex,
I am sorry you did not learn earlier. Janice was a wonderful person with a lot of love in her life. We are lucky that her family wants to continue her legacy of giving to the community. Janice will most certainly be missed.
~Rachel