Janet Leigh Willard

Janet Leigh Willard (Kingsley), 87, passed away peacefully on Jan. 24, 2024 in Marietta, Georgia after a brief illness. Born and raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she spent most of her life, Janet was the daughter of Arthur Kingsley and Arline Simpkin. She graduated from West Hartford’s Hall High School class of 1954 and Hartford Secretarial School in 1955. She was active in her church, Saint John’s Episcopal of West Hartford, CT. She was also an enthusiastic volunteer at Loaves and Fishes for many years. A petite and pretty lady with a big smile, Janet will always be remembered for her remarkably positive outlook and sweet disposition. Janet also had an adventurous streak that often surprised people. Her 60th birthday found her in a hot air balloon, her 70th in a helicopter, and her 80th kayaking the marshes of Long Island Sound. She rode a bicycle and drove a stick shift well into her eighties and joked about sky diving for her 90th birthday. She was always willing to try new things, whether that meant drinking boba tea, attending a yoga class, betting on dollar bingo or watching “The Bachelor” with her grandchildren. Janet was defined by the things she loved. These included her job as assistant to the athletic director at Trinity College in Harford, Connecticut, where she worked for many years and received The Bantam award (for distinguished contribution to the athletic program) in 1996 and again a decade later in 2006; the Boston Red Sox, who broke her heart for decades, but redeemed themselves in 2004; and summers at the beach in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, where she spent many happy hours defending her reputation as a card shark (who almost never cheated) at the game of hearts. Janet was surprisingly competitive at mini golf, an activity she loved to play with her grandchildren. Her love for the game found her playing just before her 87 th birthday, even as she used a walker to get around. She also loved puttering in her garden and walking on the flats in her signature straw hat and bright yellow windbreaker, circa 1972. In the evenings she could often be seen at Dairy Queen getting a hot fudge sundae, or on special occasions her favorite flavor, peppermint stick. And almost daily, inevitably, she would trek to Stop & Shop even if she only needed one or two items. But her greatest love of all was her family, who loved her right back. She leaves behind her daughter, Leigh Ann Rapp of Marietta, Georgia; her son, Wallace Willard III and his wife Elizabeth Michalski of Haverhill, Massachusetts; grandchildren Kate (Wade) Hill, Abby (Hayden) Wingate, Sam (Grace) Rapp; and Emma and Alex Willard. Her great-grandchildren were John Henry, Charlotte Katherine, Caroline Curtis Hill and Wyatt Wingate. She is predeceased by her sister and best friend, Beverly Ann Kingsley, her former husband, Wallace William Willard II, and her beloved son-in-law, Curtis Rapp. Funeral arrangements will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint John’s Episcopal Church of West Hartford, Connecticut. Go Red Sox!

Janet Leigh Willard

August 5, 1936 - January 24, 2024