Janice Merry Conti
Janice Merry Conti, affectionately known as Jan, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2023 at the age of 70 with her husband of 48 years, Allen J. Conti, by her side after having a full day surrounded by her cherished loved ones.
Jan was born November 23, 1952, in Orange, NJ to Milton H. Merry and Sally Rose Merry. Raised in Summit, NJ, she graduated from Summit High School and continued her studies at Bucknell University, graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. It was at Bucknell where she met the love of her life, Al, and sparked a courtship and marriage that would take them to Philadelphia, PA, Augusta, ME, Rutland, VT, and finally Hudson, NH, where they ultimately settled down on Robinson Pond and raised two wonderful sons, Jim and Michael.
Even though she focused on Elementary Education in college, her nature as a consummate relationship builder led her to a career in Human Resources with multiple companies, starting at Carris Reels in Rutland, VT as Personnel Manager. After moving to Hudson, NH, she joined Balzer’s Process Systems (later BPS) as a Human Resources Director. After many years with BPS as well as a few stints with other local companies, Jan eventually became Human Resources Director for Pfeiffer Vacuum in Nashua, NH. As HR Director, Jan traveled extensively through the Western United States as well as Europe, where she famously delivered a speech in German, to the delight of her senior leadership team, as a way to bridge the gap between the US and German operations. Not surprisingly, Jan was very well respected in her field, with many employees she supported remembering her as energetic, fair, and always having their best interests as her primary concern.
After retirement, Jan continued her passion for helping others by volunteering for the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program of New Hampshire providing a voice for children and youth who have experienced abuse and neglect.
Outside of work or volunteering, Jan enjoyed reading, gardening, traveling internationally, being with her Swim and Zumba crew at Work Out Club in Londonderry, hanging out with her “posse”, and spending quality time with her family. Anyone lucky enough to know Jan can attest that her smile could light up a room and she could make anyone feel special and seen within a few minutes of her time. She will be remembered as kind, sweet, fair, and thoughtful. She was a fierce advocate and biggest cheerleader for her family and friends, a wonderful cook, and truly knew how to throw a great party.
Jan is survived by her beloved husband Allen J. Conti, VMD, her cherished sons, James (“Jim”) Conti (partners, Patrick Kelly and David Berberich) of Chicago, and Michael (“Chip”) Conti (wife, Antoinette Patrimonio) of South Boston, along with her 11-week-old grandson Theodore Conti, and three beautiful grand dogs, Evie, Sophie, and Hombre.
She will be cremated following an intimate service with immediate family. A celebration of life will follow sometime in the near future.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation (monetary or time) to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) at www.pancan.org or Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of New Hampshire at www.casanh.org in Jan’s honor. To share an online message of condolence, please visit www.dumontsullivan.com THE DUMONT-SULLIVAN FUNERAL HOME IN HUDSON IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS.