Janet M. (Gould) Darcy

Waltham – Mrs. Janet M. (Gould) Darcy, of Waltham, died Wednesday, January 21, 2015 in Wingate at Wilbraham. She was 85.

Janet was born in Somerville on August 17, 1929, a daughter of the late John J. and Katherine (Joyce) Gould. She was raised in Somerville and in Cambridge and graduated from Saint John's High School in North Cambridge. After that she went to business school at the Hickox School and at Curry College.

Her first job was at the Kohler Company and shortly after that she went to work at the Watertown Arsenal where she met her future husband, Dorchester native George A. Darcy, Jr. The couple married in September, 1953 at Saint John's in Cambridge and four years later moved to Waltham where they raised their family and became lifelong residents.

Janet and George were longtime members of Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish in Waltham. The pair ran the Fall 'Turkey-Rama' for fifteen years that grew to become one of the most successful parish fundraisers.

After her children were grown Janet went back to work as a teacher with Waltham's English as a Second Language program in the public school system. It was a calling that she was good at and one that she thoroughly enjoyed.

Always one to stay busy, Janet also worked for years as a poll warden at election time and a census taker for the City of Waltham. Very social by nature she had wide and varied friendships and always enjoyed a good game of bridge or whist at the card table. Janet was a part time antique dealer and collector and was a member of the Pickard China Society.

Her husband of more than fifty-six years, George, died May 25, 2010.

She leaves her children, Katherine J. Hickson and her husband, Joseph M., Jr., of Hampden and Waltham City Councillor George A. Darcy, III of Waltham; her grandchildren, Joseph M. Hickson, III and his wife, Maana, Jennifer Darcy Sackrider and her husband, Peter, and Veronika V. Hickson and Aleksandr V. Hickson; her great-grandchildren, Maxwell George Hickson, Ayden Joseph Sackrider, Madelyn Mae Sackrider and Wyatt James Sackrider; her twin sister, Elizabeth K. "Lil" Doyle of Cambridge and many nieces and nephews.

Janet was a sister of the late Ellen Gould, John "Harry" Gould and Edmund Gould.

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 Sunday, January 25th, from 2 to 5 p.m. and again at 10 a.m. on Monday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Cambridge Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Waltham Land Trust, P.O. Box 541120, Waltham, MA 02454-1120 or to The Cat Connection, P.O. Box 541435, Waltham, MA 02454-1435.