Janet M. Bricault

West Boylston - On the evening of April 3rd, Janet Bricault passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at her home in West Boylston. She leaves behind a legacy of profound love and caring – Janet was a ray of sunshine in the world.

Janet was a cherished wife, mother, sister, and friend to all. She leaves behind her husband Raymond Bricault, Jr., children Sarah Bricault and Nathan Bricault, sister Gail Jehan, brother-in-law Howie Jehan, father-in-law Raymond Bricault, Sr., and a plethora of amazing friends.

Born to Jean and George Sherman in Millbury, MA in 1962, Janet would later meet her husband (and high school sweetheart) Ray in the same town. She received her BA from Framingham State in English Literature and went on to pursue graduate studies in the same field at Tufts University. After Janet worked for Pioneer Mutual Funds for several years, she and Ray welcomed their first child, Sarah, and Janet decided to become a stay-at-home mom. Four and a half years later, their second child, Nathan, was born. Janet drew incredible joy from being a mother and a wife. She raised her two children with Ray through all the laughter and sorrow, the vacations and birthday celebrations, the family gatherings and everyday moments. She instilled in her children a deep love of reading and learning, a drive to question and seek to understand the world, and a profound empathy for those around them.

In 2021, Janet was diagnosed with Endometrial Carcino-Sarcoma. This is a particularly rare and aggressive cancer with poor long term remission success rates. Although she beat it once, cancer is often an unrelenting villain, and such was the case here with metastatic recurrence in April 2024. From then forward to her death, she fought bravely for every last moment with her loved ones, worrying more about their wellness going forward than her own. The grace she showed in confronting the cancer, minimizing her own pain and discomfort, was truly amazing.

Janet was an extraordinary and generous gift-giver, often prompting friends and family to ask how she remembered every small detail about their likes and hobbies! She adored crafts, especially cross-stitch, and her collection of crafting supplies was truly immense! Her children fondly remember days when boxes upon boxes of childhood crafting supplies overtook the dining room or a bowl of newly fallen snow would make its way to the kitchen table for them to “play in the snow”.. Janet had an eye for adorable things, and loved traveling to craft fairs and estate sales to add to her many collections. These ranged from blown glass pumpkins to mugs to snowmen to solar-powered bobblehead trinkets, and somehow she made them all work together as a cohesive colonial aesthetic!

May Janet be a part of all our futures, having been woven into the fabric of our memories. A Ceremony of Life for Janet will be held at Cyprian Keyes Golf Course Ballroom on April 26th. Doors will open at 4:30pm, with a program to begin at 5:00pm.

Additionally, a memorial website can be found at https://sbricau1.wixsite.com/janetbricault for anyone who would like to share photos or memories of Janet online, view the memories or photos from others, or hear the story of her battle with this cancer.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be directed to the Friends of the Beaman Library here in West Boylston (https://beamanlibrary.org/endowment/).