Janet C. Jacquin (nee McNicholas), 87, baptized in the hope of Resurrection, died on Monday, September 22, 2025, surrounded by family, after a courageous 15-year battle with Alzheimer’s, a battle she faced with strength and courage. Janet is preceded in death by her parents: Harold McNicholas and Catherine Boutwell; five of her eight siblings: William McNicholas, Helen Respi, Jerry Ciaccio, Carol Placke and Marilyn Thielker, and one grandchild, John Costrino Jr. Janet is survived by her husband of 64 years, David Jacquin, Sr.; their five children: David Jr. (Heidi), Daniel (Lorrie), Debra Costrino (John), Denise Bishop and Donald (Jenny); her 13 grandchildren: Hayley, Alec, Dylan, Lauryn, Nicholas, Catherine, Joseph, Trey, David, Daniel, Claire, Hannah and Molly; and her three sisters: Gertrude Seeley, Peg Cole and Nancy Dattilo.
Born in St. Louis, MO, Janet was the seventh of nine children. Her family lived in Dogtown in South City, where the children attended St. James the Greater Catholic Grade School. Janet graduated from Xavier High School in 1956. She attended Harris Stowe Teachers College, where she met her husband and married in 1961.
Janet dedicated her life to being the best mother one could have. She loved her family deeply and worked tirelessly to foster a positive and loving atmosphere in the home. She was her children’s biggest cheerleader. Janet enjoyed watching them play in the band or march in parades. She loved watching them play sports, often rushing from one game to catch another, or dropping one off to practice then picking up another. She was the team scorekeeper for the many years her sons played sports. Janet was involved in the Our Lady of Sorrows parish and school, washing and ironing the altar boy cassocks every week, serving as both Room Mother and Boy Scout Den Mother and attending class field trips. She learned how to sew at a young age from her mother and would make cute matching outfits for her young daughters to wear. She could often be found at her sewing machine making costumes for the kids or mending clothes. She enjoyed ceramics and would often gift her creations to teachers and friends. She loved taking her young children, and later grandchildren, to the Muny, Grant’s Farm, the St. Louis Zoo, the Missouri Botanical Garden and other fun destinations.
Janet threw herself into being a loving grandmother. She adored her grandchildren and was there for their many births, no matter the day and time. She loved to babysit and play with her grandchildren. She enjoyed watching them play sports and attended their many school plays and band performances. She showered them with love, hugs and kisses.
Always saying yes to any adventure, Janet loved to travel. When her oldest son moved to different states during his career, she was the first to hop on a plane and visit. She called herself a snowbird when, for several years, she escaped the cold St. Louis winter months and headed to Florida in search of warmer weather. An avid quilter, Janet enjoyed taking quilting cruises with her sisters. She made baby quilts and donated them to local hospitals and shelters. She also crocheted and quilted special blankets for each of her grandchildren.
Janet had a lifelong love of the St. Louis Cardinals. As a young adult, she caught the bus to Sportsman’s Park to watch them play. She often took her children to home games at Busch Stadium, always sitting in the bleachers. For many years, Janet attended Cardinal’s spring training in Florida where the highlight was meeting Stan Musial each time.
Janet held several secretarial jobs over the years, working at the St. Louis Bowling Association and the National Bowling Hall of Fame, among others. Her most special job was working at the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys. Janet got to know each of those boys and loved them like her own. Each year, she hosted a Christmas party for them, showering them with food and gifts and a surprise visit from Santa. It brought her much happiness to bring joy to their lives.
Janet was always thinking of other and doing acts of service for others. In her retirement, she enjoyed rocking the babies at the Crisis Nursery, making sandwiches for people experiencing homelessness, helping friends and neighbors in their times of need, cooking meals for friends with newborns or families experiencing the loss of a loved one.
Janet filled her days with the things that brought her joy. She loved to read, play solitaire, sew, quilt, needlepoint and crochet. She enjoyed going out to lunch with friends, tending to her plants and rose bushes and watching the birds at the feeders in her yard.
Raised Catholic, Janet had a profound and unwavering faith in God. She attended Mass several days a week and participated in weekly Perpetual Adoration. She kept an Angel Tree up year-round. Janet’s most treasured vacation was her trip to Rome, where she participated in Mass at the Vatican and had a private audience with Pope John Paul II, her favorite Pope.
Janet was an extraordinary woman who used her God given talents to make the world a better place. God blessed her with a good life and blessed all of us with her presence on earth. Her family and friends were the joy of her life. She will be terribly missed by her family and those who were blessed to know her.
Janet is now at eternal rest with our Lord, the angels and saints, in endless jubilation for a life well lived. We are so very grateful to God for making her a part of our world and a part of our lives. Janet loved angels and she is now an angel in Heaven. We know she is watching down on all of us with a big smile and much gratitude.
A memorial Mass will be held at Mary, Mother of the Church, 5901 Kerth Road, St. Louis, MO, 63128, on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 1:30PM. Visitation will be held the hour before Mass at the church. Following the mass, we invite you to join us at Bartolino’s Restaurant on South Lindbergh for a luncheon to continue the celebration of Janet’s life. Please note the Mass will be live-streamed by the church for those who cannot attend in person. Go to www.marymother.org and select Stream Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Missouri Chapter, at 11433 Olde Cabin Rd., Ste. 100, St. Louis, MO, 63141. Online donations can be made at: www.alz.org/greatermissouri PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE FOR THE MEMORIAL MASS IS NOW NOVEMBER 22, 2025.
She is a loss to us but at peace at last. My favorite aunt left me with some wonderful memories and life lessons