Janice M. Quinn

Janice M. Quinn (née Erikson, formerly Janice Lanik) died in hospice care on September 28, 2021 in East Providence, RI due to complications from acute myeloid leukemia. She was 82.

Janice was born on March 4, 1939, in Holden, MA to her parents, Walter and Dorothy Erikson. She was raised in Milford, NH and graduated from Milford High School in 1957. Janice attended the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a degree in history in 1961. She raised her family in North Smithfield, RI, where she lived for 25 years. Janice taught 5th grade at Halliwell Elementary School in North Smithfield in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and always spoke fondly of the connections that she formed with students and colleagues when she was teaching. She served as president of the teacher’s union for many years, and then worked as a contract negotiator for the Rhode Island branch of the National Education Association after she left the classroom. After living for several years in Bristol, RI, she retired and moved to Mont Vernon, NH in 1994.

Janice was an avid reader, and it was not uncommon for her to finish a novel in a single day. She served as a volunteer on the Daland Library Committee in Mont Vernon. For many years she was a deaconess at the Congregational Church in Slatersville, RI, where she also lent her voice to the choir. She was driven to work for social justice, and actively participated in political causes throughout her life. And even though they drove her crazy, she always remained loyal to the Red Sox.

Janice is survived by her son Gregory Lanik and daughter-in-law Diana Palmer of Belmont, MA; son Kenneth Lanik and daughter-in-law Kristin Lindstrom of North Yarmouth, ME; daughter Elizabeth Lanik and son-in-law Gary Terrell of Barrington, RI; her beloved grandchildren Eli, Phoebe, and Grady; and siblings Charlotte Cote, Marcia Nelson, and Erik Erikson. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Quinn (2019).

Janice will be cremated, and her ashes will be scattered in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, donations in Janice’s name can be made to the following organizations:

Runningstart.org

American Civil Liberties Union

The Leukemia Research Foundation