In the early morning hours of Oct. 10, the world lost a wonderful woman. Janet Regina (Carter) Chase passed away in Portland at the Maine Medical Center, surrounded by family, at the age of 69.
She was born in Waldoboro to Hartwell and Laura (Murphy) Carter. She grew up in the house her father built in Bremen and graduated from Lincoln Academy. Soon after high school, she was introduced to her future husband, Steve, and they moved to Bristol and were married on July 22, 1978.
She had many different occupations over her lifetime, but her favorite was working with young children as a preschool teacher. Her love of kids became evident again when she became a grandmother of three. She loved all animals, especially her dog, Max, enjoyed listening to Kenny G., and was a longtime fan of the soap opera “General Hospital” and the Boston Red Sox. She was a fantastic cook and often would bake for fundraisers for her church, where she was very involved most of her life.
When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 49, she decided to use the time she was recovering from chemotherapy treatments to earn her bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences. After surviving cancer, she was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and loved hiking and kayaking as much as she could before her lung disease progressed. She was an incredibly strong person who took each battle head on.
Janet was predeceased in February of this year by her loving husband of 45 years, Stephen; she was also predeceased by her parents; sister, Lorraine Simpson; brother, Joel Carter; and nieces, Katrina Pinard and Sinda Chamberlain.
She is survived by her two daughters: Tara Pierce, her husband, Harry, and their daughter, Avery, and Angela Kostenbader, her husband, Tom, and their sons, Thomas and Carter. She was very close with her nephew, Robert Simpson and niece, Cindy Hull; as well as Wendy Dinsmore, Jane Longe, and Renee Thivierge, and found lots of comfort in their friendships, among many others, friends and family alike.
Janet requested anyone that wishes to please donate to the Congregational Church of Bristol, whose membership gave her lots of purpose and support. A service will be planned for the spring of 2025.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for her family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
