JANET CHASE HOLMES

SCARBOROUGH – Janet Chase Holmes, 81, of Scarborough and Jackson, N.H., passed away unexpectedly Oct. 21, 2008, at Maine Medical Center. Janet was born April 2, 1927, in Portland, the younger daughter of Robert Dean and Lois Gertrude (Steward) Chase. She was a lifelong resident of Maine, whose ancestors arrived on the Mayflower. She attended local schools and graduated from Deering High in 1945, elected “Miss Deering” of her graduating class. She was a standout in sports and academics, and was proud to be one of three Maine students selected to enter the University of New Hampshire, Class of 1949. Growing up she enjoyed many sports, especially ice-skating and basketball. She played violin, attended Maine Music Camp, played in the Portland Junior Symphony and the Deering High Orchestra. She played piano by ear. Unfortunately, she kept those genes to herself. She was a physical education major and member of the Chi Omega sorority at University of New Hampshire. In May 1948, Janet married her childhood sweetheart, Lloyd H. Holmes, whom she met in Miss Moran’s kindergarten class. She was smitten with Lloyd after he broke his leg playing football during junior year at Deering. They married in Woodford’s Church, Portland, where they became lifelong members of both the church and Woodford’s Club. For several years, she loved bowling with the girls on Thursday mornings. She and Lloyd raised three children in Portland at the family homestead, on Longfellow Street, where they instilled their love of sports and academics in Mark, Cindy and Judy. A large part of Janet’s family life revolved around their weekend cabin near Cranmore Mountain, North Conway, N.H., where they all learned to ski at Hannes Schneider Ski School. The family developed lasting friendships with locals with whom they enjoyed skiing and golfing at North Conway Country Club and Myrtle Beach, S.C., among many other venues. In recent years, she and Lloyd enjoyed many wonderful times with family and friends at their Wentworth Resort townhome, which she was 10 days away from moving back into after a devastating fire in February. Although she lost many mementos in the fire, the trophies that meant the most to her were lovingly replaced and recently presented to her by her friends at Portland Country Club. Some of Janet’s fondest memories were Friday night suppers at Eastern Slope Inn in the ’50s and ’60s and in later years at New England Inn, among other favorite restaurants in the Mount Washington Valley. Family ski trips to Colorado were winter highlights. In the late ’60s, when her kids were all in school, Janet joined the family business, Holmes Electric/The House of Lights, as one of the first two sales ladies to work in the retail showroom. For $2 an hour, Janet worked part-time to give the manager a day off. Computerization became necessary for the business to grow and Lloyd tested all the employees for their aptitude, with Janet coming out on top with her strong math skills. She became a Fortran programmer and worked full-time to get the system up and running by January 1970. Her brother-in-law, H. Wilbur Holmes, called her “a wizard at computers and completely ran this part of the business.” She had found her niche using her skills as a self-disciplined, organized, logical and hardworking professional in a support role. She took up golf, somewhat tentatively at first, when the kids were at summer camp in the ’60s. She joined Gorham Country Club, and took lessons and played with women who became enduring friends. In 1975, she and Lloyd became members of Portland Country Club, where she was an active member of Ladies Golf Association until her death. Janet developed a lifelong passion for golf in the early ’80s, and retired to hit the golf course full-time. At her best, she played to a 16 handicap, winning many awards and tournaments throughout Southern Maine. Her affiliation with Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association meant a lot to her and she enjoyed playing many of the area’s magnificent courses. Janet enjoyed many wonderful golf outings with family and friends in North Conway and Jackson, N.H., in the summer, and Boca Grande, Fla., in the off season. Milestone anniversaries were spent at the Balsams and in Stowe, Vt., golfing with her family. This golf season alone, she completed 45 rounds. Her accuracy and steady disposition made an excellent combination and she won five golf awards this year, including a major women’s tournament, the Payson Cup, for the third time. Although to her chagrin a hole-in-one eluded her, throughout her golf career, she was always true to form and “hit them straight and right down the middle.” She cherished her golf and bridge friendships at the club immensely. Janet was involved in many community activities and was a benefactor of several worthwhile charities. A highlight of her involvement was as a 17-year volunteer at the coffee shop at Maine Medical Center. Janet’s family always came first. She was a devoted and unselfish wife to Lloyd and dedicated mother and grandmother. Her children considered her the heart of the family, the glue that held them all together through the years. She was especially proud of her grandchildren and she attended many of their school and sporting events through the years, as she did for her children. Holidays and birthdays were special events to Janet, celebrated with her great menus, Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, including apple pie a la mode, lobster and beef tenderloin with hot fudge sundaes at Christmas, and a fifty-cent piece baked into our birthday cakes. However, in her later years, what she loved to make most for dinner were reservations, including at Cumberland Club, where she would take great pleasure in treating her family and many friends. Her favorite table at Portland Country Club was memorialized with a candle the night of her death. Janet is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years; and her three devoted children and their much-loved spouses, Mark Wendell “Homer” Holmes and Jerilyn Rogers of Shelburne, N.H., Cindy Holmes Andrews and Tom Whyte of Cumberland Foreside and Judy Holmes and Jim Progin of Seal Harbor and Jackson, N.H. Janet also leaves four loving grandchildren, Kelly, Erik, Mark and Kristy Andrews; and numerous close-knit relatives. Her family and friends meant the world to her and she was thrilled that with the wedding of her son last month, all three of her children were now happily married. She was predeceased by her parents; sister, Joan; and son-in-law, Bert Andrews. A memorial service celebrating Janet’s life will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Woodford’s Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St., Portland. Private interment will be afterward at Evergreen Cemetery, Portland. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Janet’s memory to Portland Country Club Employee Scholarship Fund, 11 Foreside Road, Falmouth, ME 04105. You are invited to share your thoughts, condolences and fond memories with the Holmes family by visiting Janet’s guest book at www.mem.com.