Janet Durkin

DOVER- Inspiring, fun-loving mother and so much more, Janet Irene (Marley) Durkin, of West Dover, and Falmouth, MA, nearly 85 years old, died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Friday, August 14.  The life she had already lived, and the more she had planned to live, gave no indication of her actual age.  She was quick-witted, compassionate, and a dear friend to many.
She lived a life full of love, adventure, fun, and a community of friends - what she fondly referred to as “the good life.”
Mrs. Durkin and her husband Thomas raised four children, sailing and enjoying their beloved Falmouth on Cape Cod and skiing in Vermont in the winters.  After working as a registered nurse and later as an educator in the early years of special education, she and Tom ran several successful businesses together. The first was The Good Life Frozen Yogurt Shop with two locations in Falmouth, MA, one on Main Street and one in the former Casino Building on Falmouth Heights. They later received acclaim at The Longwood Inn in Marlboro, named “The Ultimate Inn” by New England magazine, and earned a three-star review in the Boston Globe for their restaurant there. The Durkins continued their hospitality at Waquoit Bay Bed and Breakfast in Falmouth, MA. For nearly three decades they greeted those from near and far as the friendly and welcoming couple that sold tickets at the base of Mount Snow.  After “retiring” they continued to welcome travelers to their Airbnb on Locustfield Road in Falmouth.
Mrs. Durkin was passionate about her hopes and love for our country. She was always quick to offer help to those in need.  In the past months, she had sewed over 400 face masks for donation to help combat the coronavirus.
It would be difficult to find a mother prouder of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Despite her disdain for contact sports, she had recently become an avid hockey fan while cheering on her two great-grandsons on Cape Cod and delighted in everything about her four brand new great-grandchildren.  Perhaps her nursing background helped her earn the nickname “the baby whisperer” for her expertise in calming infants.
Mrs. Durkin will be sorely missed by her immediate and extended family, including her devoted husband Tom, their son Thomas and wife Susan, of Brattleboro, and their daughters Pattee of Falmouth, MA, and Tracy, of Thermopolis, WY.  Their son Peter died in 2011.  She is survived by her grandchildren Michael T. Durkin and his wife Brianna, Emily (Durkin) McFadden and her husband Brandon, and Caitlin Durkin, all of Burlington, and Andrew Milligan and wife Crystal of Redmond, CA; and her great-grandchildren Alyssa and Amelia Milligan, of Crystal Redmond, CA, Cole and Bode Jansen, of Truro, MA, Bennett and Everett McFadden and Callum Durkin, of Burlington. All her great-grandchildren took an immediate shine to their “Gigi.” She is also survived by very beloved nieces and nephews and her last surviving in-law, William Durkin, of Winchester, NH.
Service and memorial service plans will be announced.

The Deerfield Valley News

797 VT Route 100 North
Wilmington, VT 05363

Phone: 802-464-3388
Fax: 802-464-7255

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