Janet Fraser McEntee, 93, of Ithaca, NY died peacefully Monday, November 4th at Kendal of Ithaca with her 2 children by her side; Margaret (Margy) McEntee of Ithaca and Michael McEntee of Knoxville, TN. Janet was born and spent most of her life in Ithaca, almost 53 of those years lovingly married to Kenneth McEntee, who preceded her in death along with her mother Helen Parker Myers, father Alan C. Fraser, sister Margaret Reed and her husband Francis Reed, brother-in-law Marvin McEntee and his wife Roni McEntee, her nephew Alan Reed, and step-father Randall Livermore. In addition to her children she is survived by 7 nieces (Meredith, Ginny, Janet, Mary Ann, Barbara, Judy and Roxanne) and one nephew (Tom) along with her daughter’s loving partner Steven Hall of Ithaca and his mother Jennie Hall.
Janet was working at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine in the business office when she met Kenneth, a faculty member. After marriage she worked hard to provide a loving, laughter-filled home and many warm memories for her family. The couple, sometimes with children in tow, spent sabbaticals and other leaves around the world including 6 months in Bethesda Washington, 1 year in Melbourne Australia, arriving after traveling as sole passengers for 53 days on a German freighter up/down the east coast, through the Panama Canal, and across the pacific, and multiple periods of 1 or more months living and working in Sweden and Brazil. After leaving Cornell they spent the last years of Ken’s academic career in Champaign-Urbana IL, before retiring to spend summers on Cayuga Lake and winters in Eustis, Florida near her sister and brother-in-law. After the trauma of Ken’s death and a summer living with her daughter, Janet rallied to sell both homes and moved into Kendal in 2006, close to her daughter and many good friends in the area.
The family plans to hold a memorial and private interment at a later date. They wish to extend a special thank you to all the wonderful nurses and staff of Kendal for the care and attention provided Janet over the years and particularly during her final months and days.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Janet can be made to the American Heart Association, or a charity meaningful to the donor.
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