Janet Wilhelmina (Heller)Gourley passed away on November 8, 2025. She was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on  October 16, 1931, to parents William Charles and Leonita Jantzen Heller.

Janet attended Hope High School in Providence Rhode Island before moving on to get her BA at Brown University. After graduating from Brown, she would go on to acquire her MS from Simmons College, School of Library Science, followed by her MBA from Rensselaer at Hartford.  After finishing her education, she would go on to work at multiple libraries over the years including, Providence and Boston Public Libraries, Albert Church Brown Library in China, ME, and the Wells-Turner Memorial Library in Glastonbury, CT, where she was the head of the Children's Services for 19 years, earning an Outstanding Service Award upon her retirement.

Janet enjoyed spending time with family and friends, her many community activities, gardening, aerobics, walking her dog and playing the piano. She was a communicant at the St. Raphael's Catholic Church in Kittery, Maine. She also was an active member of many clubs and organizations including: the Harbourside Garden Club, Piscataqua District Garden Club, the Garden Club Federation of Maine, the New England Region Garden Club, the Kittery Foreside Committee, Kittery Conservation Commission, Co-Chairing the Adopt-A-Road Program for over 20 years, the Kittery Historical and Naval Society, the Kittery Land Trust, Historic New England, Colby College Friends of Art, National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Maine Preservation and was a Co-Founder of the Kittery Cemetery Committee,

Janet is described as an amazing, dear person who was lovely, kind, concerned about others, dressed beautifully and was fun.  Even in her last few years as she dealt with health issues, she enjoyed meals out and, in her home, hosted cocktail hours and Easter/Thanksgiving/Christmas meals for various friends and relatives.  Her home and yard are creatively decorated for all the holidays.  Into her early 90s she was still driving and attending physical exercise sessions!  She always had a dog, including at her passing, Oliver.

Janet is predeceased by her parents William and Leonita as well as her sister Julianne Prager.

She is survived by her surrogate daughter, Cathleen Bagdon, Brunswick, ME; goddaughter, Lisa Gourley, Barrington, RI; several cousins, especially Ellen Jantzen, Katherine Glazier, and Tom Jantzen, as well as many special friends from over the years.  Janet will be tremendously missed by so many people!

A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Raphael's Catholic Church, 6 Whipple Rd, Kittery, ME 03904 on Friday, December 5, 2025, at 11:00 AM.  Janet's remains will be buried at the St. Patrick Cemetery in Lowell, MA, per Janet's request there will not be any cemetery services.