HAVERHILL - Janet Lauraine (Parker) Cerat, 71, of Haverhill, went to her Heavenly home on May 29, 2019.

Janet was born on July 3, 1947 in Haverhill. She was the oldest girl of 8 children of Howard and Jeanette (Taillon) Parker. She attended St. Joseph School of Haverhill through 8th Grade in the Class of 1961, transitioned to St. Anne High School of Lawrence, Class of 1965, as well as Salem State College to become an elementary teacher. Janet enjoyed bowling, water skiing, archery and swimming in her early years. She was a second mother to her younger siblings, taking them on trips to places such as stores, the beach and LaSalette in Ipswich for sledding and skating and teaching them to read, cook, sew, and craft and nurturing them in their early years.

After college, in her before children years- "BC "as she called it, she was a teacher at her alma mater, St. Joseph School of Haverhill where she taught Grades 4, 5 and 7 as one of the first lay teachers among the Sisters of Charity. She took off several years to raise her young children in her full time role as a mother which she flourished in. As her children grew, she frequently substitute taught at her children's school- St. Joseph Regional School of Salem, NH. When her youngest was in 5th Grade she began teaching full time at St. Joseph Regional. After a courageous year long battle with breast cancer, she returned to teaching as a substitute teacher in the Haverhill Public School System for several years. She then transitioned back into a full time teaching career for ten years in Salem, NH Public Schools as a Pre-K teacher in the SEED program at Fisk Elementary and completed her career in Grade 3 at North Salem Elementary, from where she retired at 68 years old. She was a natural teacher who instilled in countless children a love of learning and discovery. She brought enthusiasm and excitement into her classroom as well as a sense of self worth in each student for his or her uniqueness. Janet was a longtime member of the National Teachers Association. She shared what she had learned with others throughout her life- teaching her siblings and her own children valued life lessons as well as hobbies.

Helping others and giving of herself was one of the most important aspects of Janet's life; She often went about doing good deeds for others in a quiet and humble way, never taking credit for her kind gestures but instead remaining in the background. She was talented in more ways than can be mentioned- she was a master seamstress, excellent cook, did beautiful crafts and had a kind word for everybody. Although Janet's center was the kitchen, she did not shy away from hard physical work, building a lakeside house, wallpapering, painting, boat maintenance, helping put on a new roof. Janet had a special knack for finding 4 leaf clovers, which she made into bookmarks and gave away to whoever she crossed paths with- whether family, friend, deli worker, cashier, waitress, or a child at Mass. She was happiest when at family gatherings where she could be around her children and grandchildren. She and her son Dan shared a special bond and were an inseparable team in life activities.

Janet was a devout Catholic and had a strong inner faith, evident in ministry first in her parish of St. Rita in Haverhill where she served as a lector and CCD Teacher, which merged into her parish of All Saints in Haverhill where she was an active member of the faith community, serving as a lector at the 4pm Saturday and 11am Sunday Masses, singing as an alto in the Seasonal Choir, and was a former parish council member. She was also active at Our Lady of Grace Chapel in the Lakes Region during the summer months, where she was a longtime lector of over twenty years at the 8am Mass while her son Dan served as summer organist. For over 40 years, Janet was a summer resident of Meredith, NH at our family lakeside home. She was a longtime summer lector at the 8:30 Mass at the former Our Lady of Victory Chapel on Lake Winnipesaukee. After a change in life situation, Janet, along with her son Dan, became vacation residents of Tilton, NH at their treasured vacation home community, The Hemlocks. She loved to keep active, both in mind and body. Soon after retirement, she became a member of OLLI (Osher Life Long Learning Institute) where she took courses and joined the book club in this senior program based in Concord, NH. She was also a member of the Franklin-Tilton Historical Society. One of her favorite summer activities with Dan was attending weekly Sunday evening concerts at Tilton's Island Park, often with the grandchildren up for a visit. She was a longtime member of the Franklin Opera House, where she enjoyed attending plays while at her vacation home. Although not a frequent television watcher, Janet was an avid reader and enjoyed her monthly book club as well as solving crosswords and word strategy games. She was the most amazing and loving mother- sewing holiday costumes for all of her children and grandchildren and making elaborate wedding cakes for family and friends. Her children never ate a school lunch- even after tired days of teaching a classroom full of kids she could be found in the kitchen, baking and packing homemade lunches with special notes enclosed up through each child's high school days. Janet was always on the go from waking until bed, even after retirement. She often put aside her own needs for others. She was a loving neighbor, often baking or popping over with homemade soup. She would visit those who were homebound and always had a special knack of cheering people up with her positive outlook. Janet suffered from the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis for over ten years, never complaining and always striving to keep on moving even when in excruciating pain during flare ups.

Janet was predeceased by her loving parents Howie (2003) and Jeanette Parker (2016), her warm hearted in-laws Ernest (1997) and Verna Cerat (2005) as well as her first born infant daughter, Allison Cerat (1971) who passed soon after delivery.

Her family members include her children Rebecca Tiano and her husband Tom and their children Connor and Paige of Nashua, NH, her son and best friend Daniel Cerat of Haverhill with whom she lived, and Melissa Levesque and her husband Philip and their son Jeremiah of Nashua; 3 sisters, 4 brothers, and many nieces and nephews and dear friends. Janet was the former wife of Michael J. Cerat of Haverhill.

The Cerat family would like to extend special thanks to all those both in the Lakes Region and home area who have kept Janet in your thoughts and prayers as she faced an unknown illness that caused blindness and respiratory complications through these last 60 days, never losing her determination and smile through many agonizing procedures and suffering. She is among the angels of heaven for sure! Relatives and friends are invited to attend Janet's Life Celebration to be held on Monday, June 3 in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 So. Main Street, Haverhill from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Her funeral will begin on Tuesday, June 4 in the funeral home at 10:00 AM. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be in All Saints Church, 120 Bellevue Avenue, Haverhill at 11:00 AM. An interment service will take place during the summer at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Donations in Janet's memory can be made to OLLI NH at Granite State College, 25 Hall Street, Concord, NH 03301 www.olli.granite.edu For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com