Janet Lynn Hopkins (nee Wheeler) passed away at Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver, BC on November 18, 2020 at the age of 72. She was born in Lumby, BC on January 19,1948.
Janet graduated from UBC’s Occupational and Physical Therapy program in 1970 earning her Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine (B.S.R.). She began her career in Vancouver working at both Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital and GF Strong, and then spent a short time working in Newfoundland. Upon returning to the west coast, Janet worked in Campbell River before returning to her forever home of Vancouver. Janet continued to grow in her career at Shaughnessy Hospital where she became passionate about working with people with respiratory issues. In particular, she was drawn to the increasing number of young adults who were now surviving longer with Cystic Fibrosis. This eventually led to Janet becoming the only physiotherapist in Canada to take on the role of Co-Ordinator of an Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, traditionally a role filled only by nurses. Janet continued to lead this program as the CF clinic experienced rapid growth and was eventually transferred to St. Paul’s Hospital. Janet was well suited for this position as her caring and compassionate nature was combined with a straightforward, honest and no-nonsense approach to communication. Janet meshed easily with the young adults and their families, her co-workers, and to this day counts many of them as life-long friends.
It was through her work with the Adult Cystic Fibrosis clinic, that Janet met the love of her life, Mark. Though their time together was cut short, Mark and Janet were able to fit in a lifetime of memories and joy in their time together before his passing from Cystic Fibrosis.
Fiercely loyal and dedicated, Janet spent much of her life looking after the people she loved. Janet was instrumental in raising her younger sister Jody after their parent’s separation at a young age and helped and supported her mother, Lena, after her diagnosis with MS. In 1976, after Jody was in a serious car accident, Janet again stepped in and took the lead in her sister’s recovery and re-habilitation. Always pragmatic, Janet assisted Jody to create and maintain an independent life.
Janet’s love of traveling took her far across the globe on early trips to Singapore and Bali, and in later years on excursions to England with her sister Tracey, a cruise to Alaska with her sisters Diane, Loretta and Tracey, followed with another just so she could see the whales, and most recently a trip with her friend, and travelling companion Cathy, on a cruise through the Panama Canal followed by an extensive tour through China, where a photo of her on the Great Wall holding her cane high over her head became one of her most prized memories.
Janet was always able to bring together people from different facets of her life and created a network of friendships that defied any sort of label. Being on her extensive and coveted Dim Sum list meant that you might be sharing the table with Janet’s former co-workers, patients, family members and their friends, or people that she befriended through her various interests in gardening, the CP Cairn Rescue network, meditation, or even people that Janet had met over the years as she wandered her neighbourhood, Queen Elizabeth Park and the beaches of Spanish banks walking her beloved dogs Jericho, Charlie, Jamie & Oliver and in most recent years, Miss Penny.
Janet was predeceased by her Mother Lena, Stepmother Frieda, her beloved soul mate Mark, sisters Jody, and Nicole, brother Kenny and nephews Sheldon and Jamie. Janet is remembered by her loving family; her father Leslie, siblings Tracey (Greg), Diane, Loretta (Rolf) and Harold, and her nieces and nephews, Matthew and Robert, Amanda (Matt) Dexter, Jaxon and Huxley, Tina and Landon, Kolt (Brianna) Isaac, Evelyn and Theo and many friends.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Cystic Fibrosis Canada, CP Cairn Rescue network or support your local animal shelters.
A very special Thank you to all the Nurses, and Doctors, especially Dr. Heather Stuart at VGH for their exceptional care and support of Janet during her time there. A celebration of life service and reception will be held at Janet’s favorite Dim Sum restaurant Sun Sui Wah at later date due to the current Covid situation. Never one to wallow in sadness herself, please keep Janet in your thoughts as you find beauty in your day.