Janet P. (Fortin) Bilodeau

Waltham – Mrs. Janet P. (Fortin) Bilodeau, of Waltham, died Thursday, April 7, 2022 in UMass Memorial Hospital in Leominster. She was 80.

Janet was born in Worcester on August 31, 1941 and was a graduate of Worcester High School. She continued her studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where she earned her bachelor's degree.

She moved to Waltham where she has been a resident for more than fifty-five years. Some of her life's joys included music, especially opera singing and musicals. She was a familiar face at the Chateau Restaurant on School Street where she had worked as a hostess for thirty-five years. She will be long remembered for greeting her customers with a warm and affable smile.

Of all the things she enjoyed in life, her greatest treasure which truly made her heart 'sing' was her family. In addition to being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, she was the doting caregiver to her beloved son, the late Joseph Bilodeau, with whom she is reunited in Heaven.

She and her husband, Ernie, made many happy memories with their family frequenting Walt Disney World, Lake Waukewan in Meredith NH, Canobie Lake Park, and made a yearly tradition of seeing the Boston Pops perform each Fourth of July. She, Ernie, and Joey were faithful communicants of Saint Mary's Church where they found great solace and refuge. They attended Mass each week and found great comfort in Fr. Michael's special blessing as they left church.

In addition to her husband, Ernest J. Bilodeau, she leaves her children, Anne C. Zeiger of Virginia, John E. Bilodeau of Groton, Michael J. Bilodeau of Florida, and Susan P. Bilodeau of Virginia, ten grandchildren, and her former daughters-in-law, Sherri Bilodeau and Eva Bilodeau.

Family and friends will honor and remember Janet's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Wednesday, April 13th from 4 to 7 p.m. A Liturgical Blessing will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning in Saint Mary's Church, 133 School Street, Waltham. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham.

The livestream and recording of Janet's Blessing will be available via this link on Thursday morning at 10 a.m.: https://my.gather.app/remember/janet-bilodeau