Janet T Poole

Janet Poole, 94, English teacher, peace activist, matriarch

To her English students, she was “Shakes-poole,” a lover and teacher of great literature. To her fellow activists, she was a fearless protester, arrested multiple times for her opposition to war and nuclear weapons. To her extended family of 43 descendants, she was the beloved matriarch. And to her husband of 64 years, she was the object of lifelong devotion.

After a long, healthy, and principled life of unfailing service to others, Janet Therese (Cotter) Poole died on Dec. 15 of natural causes. She was surrounded by her children and grandchildren, encircling her bed and singing spiritual songs. She was 94.

Janet was born in Brockton, Mass. in 1928, the youngest of Joe and Sarah Cotter’s four children. She graduated from Brockton High School with honors in 1946, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English, also with honors, from Emmanuel College in 1950. Twenty-eight years later, in 1978, she received a master’s degree in education from Boston State College, accomplished by attending night school while raising seven daughters and two sons.

Janet came from humble origins and had an unassuming personality. And yet, she moved mountains with her quiet strength, lively mind, strong work ethic, and compassionate service. Despite her inherent shyness and introversion, she chaired the English Department at The Woodward School, a private high school for girls in Quincy, for 16 years; she served as the president of the League of Women Voters in Quincy; and she sat on the board of Agape Community in Hardwick, Mass., among other accomplishments.

Her commitment to progressive causes and community service was built on a foundation of faith. Janet was a lifelong Catholic, albeit with an activist flair. While an undergraduate at Emmanuel, she embraced radical Catholicism and its commitment to nonviolence, peace, and justice. “Faith needs to be lived and acted upon,” she said last year during a reflection on her life. “I sometimes get impatient with Catholics. I want them to get on board with social justice and peace. It’s what Catholicism is all about. ”

Janet was a member of St. Ann parish in Wollaston in the 1960s and St. John the Baptist parish in Quincy for many decades. More recently, she worshiped online at St. Susanna parish in Dedham. She served as a lector, CCD teacher, and marriage preparation leader at St. John’s.

Janet married Alden W. Poole of Taunton in 1950. He remained her true love, best friend, and soulmate throughout his life. Alden died at age 89 in 2015. In their first decade of marriage, they lived all over New England as Alden pursued a newspaper career and Janet cared for their six children. In 1958, they settled into their permanent home at 125 Winthrop Ave. in Quincy, welcoming three more children and raising their family with a strong foundation of progressive values, faith, and service. In their retirement years, Janet and Alden’s activism intensified through close connections to several peace and justice communities. With family care and support, both of them were able to age in place in their home until their deaths.

Equally important in Poole family history is their connection to Cape Cod. In 1959, Janet and Alden bought a house lot in Brewster, a stone’s throw to a bayside beach. Family members remember vividly and participated actively in building their six-bedroom cottage from the ground up. Affectionately known as “Leaping Greenly,” a reference to Janet’s favorite ee cummings poem, the cottage is the family’s vital connection to nature, to the ocean, to green, healthy living—and to each other—a lasting legacy bestowed by Janet and Alden.

With her passing, Janet leaves eight children: Kathleen Poole of Montpelier, VT (husband Michael); Tim Poole of Wilmington, NC; Gina Poole of Sandwich (husband Dave); Mary Poole of Bellingham (husband Paul); Lucy Burlingame of Hingham (husband Jack); Tony Poole of Quincy; Sarah McCarty of Quincy (husband John); and Joanna Poole of Arlington (husband Jim). She also was the family matriarch to 20 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Janet is predeceased by her husband Alden; her daughter Kristin, formerly of Bellingham (husband John); and her older siblings Robert Cotter of Abington, Mary (Cotter) McCann of Rockville, MD, and Joseph Cotter of Hingham.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday, December 30, 2022 from 5-7 p.m. at Hamel-Lydon Chapel, 650 Hancock Street, Quincy.

A memorial Mass dedicated to peace will be held on Saturday, December 31, 2022 at 9 a.m. at St. Susanna parish, 262 Needham Street, Dedham.

Donations to honor Janet’s peace-making may be made to two organizations that she held dear: Haley House (a multi-faceted nonprofit organization focused on using food to build community), 23 Dartmouth Street, Boston MA 02116, haleyhouse.org/donate and Agape Community (a Christian community and lifestyle) 2062 Greenwich Road, Hardwick MA 01082, agapecommunity.org/support-donate