Obituary of Janis HOLMES)

JANIS MARY NIX (nee HOLMES) October 26,1955-November 21,2010 On November 21, with her family at her side, Janis Mary Nix's quiet yet courageous battle with illness came to a peaceful end. Left to cherish her memory are her husband Garry and their two sons Garry Jr. and Matthew. Also left to remember their daughter, sister and aunt with great fondness are her mother Doris, brothers Del (Gail) and Russ (Ilene), sister Sue-Ann (Patrick), brother-in-law Richard Partyka and sister-in-law Marilyn Ostryznik (Dan), nieces and nephews Michele, Jocelyn (Michael), R.J.(Meghan) Meggin (Bill), Michael(Karin) Reagan (Nic), Thomas(Lisa), Kathryn, Ryan, Janet (Geoff), Jeff (Kelli), and great-nieces Dominique, Olivia, Sophie and Lauren, and great-nephews Luke, Liam and Mason, as well as long time friend Joan Flood. Jan was predeceased by her father Delmar, her sister Cynthia, niece Kristen, and her mother and father-in-law Mary and Ormal Nix. Jan was the youngest of five Holmes children and on many days probably felt as though she had six parents instead of two. She attended St. Alphonsus School, Fort Richmond Collegiate and St. Mary's Academy, eventually graduating with a degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of Manitoba. Her first job took her to Churchill, Manitoba for six months, but she soon returned to Winnipeg where she enjoyed a number of years working with Dr. Arnold Kapitz before leaving to marry one of her patients and begin her family. Together Jan and Garry celebrated their 32 years of marriage and falling in love on November 18. Jan was a remarkable person. She was highly principled and lived her life with great determination and integrity. She valued family above all. She and Garry were devoted to each other and together they were both devoted to their sons. Jan loved being a mother, and her sons loved being with her. Knowing Jan has been a great privilege. She was intelligent and articulate; she was sensitive and compassionate; she was generous and caring. She had many strengths of character, but every part of her life was underlined by her quiet, good humour and her modesty. She was a quiet and reserved person who chose never to dwell on her personal accomplishments or difficulties. In 1998 she underwent a heart transplant operation in London, Ontario, which changed the lives of those who knew her almost as much as it changed hers. For the past twelve years she has helped all who have known her to develop a new appreciation and understanding of how precious our time together is. We have all been blessed with her presence, and we will all miss her dearly. We would like to express our sincere thanks for the exemplary care and support given to Jan and her family over the years including EMT personnel, the doctors, nurses, and assistants at St. Boniface Hospital and especially Liz Hensen. Special thanks to Dr. Shelley Zieroth, Dr. Francisco Cordova, nurse Shari Barker at the St. Boniface Cardiac Unit, Dr. Ian Maxwell and Dr. Pat Wightman. As well special thanks to London Transplant Coordinators, Grant Fisher and Charles Smith, clinic nurse Paul Myers, clinic receptionist Grace Corrin, cardiologists Dr. Peter Pflugfelder, Dr. William Kostuk, retrieval doctor Dr. Max Quance and especially to transplant surgeon Dr. Richard Novick. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, November 25 at 11:00 am at St. Ignatius of Loyola Roman Catholic Church, 255 Stafford with private interment to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jan's memory to a charity of choice or to: Multi-Organ Transplant Program London Health Science Centre C/O Grant Fisher Transplant Recipient Coordinator C4-206 University Hospital 339 Windermere Rd London, Ontario N6A 5A5