Janet Louise (Silsby) Dunham, 86, Madbury, N.H., passed away
on Nov. 30, 2016 at Portsmouth Hospital. Janet was born on
July 26, 1930 to John and Mae Louise Silsby in St. Johnsbury,
Vermont. She had a very happy childhood, graduated from
Portland Street Elementary School and from St. Johnsbury Academy in the class of 1948.
Janet was a 1952 graduate of the University of Vermont and
received her degree in Elementary Education. She later earned
a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Maine.
During the summers when Janet was in college, she worked for
the Vermont Congregational Conference conducting Vacation
Church Schools in rural towns of Vermont.
Upon graduation from UVM Janet taught one year in Winooski,
Vermont. While at the UVM Janet met her future husband,
Wallace Dunham. They were married on Christmas Eve in 1953
in the North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury. Wallace
was on a brief leave from the military service in the U.S. Army
stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Janet then taught first grade on the Base.
Janet and Wallace were blessed with three wonderful daughters
and Janet was a homemaker for several years. When Wallace
was on a sabbatical from the University of Maine in 1968-1970,
Janet taught remedial reading at Boynton Junior High School in
Ithaca, New York. Upon returning to Maine where Wallace was
on the faculty at the University of Maine, Janet taught school for 20 years in Bangor, Maine.
Upon retirement Janet and Wallace moved to Madbury, New
Hampshire. Janet was active in the community where she
resided and was always busy with various projects. She
enjoyed sewing and knitting and made over 550 small quilts for
the Seacoast Linus Project as well as many little "Peace Dolls"
for a mission in Haiti. For several years Janet was on the Board
of Managers at the Wentworth Home in Dover. She was a
member of the Community Church of Durham in which she was an active member.
Janet and Wallace thoroughly enjoyed traveling in their
retirement visiting many places in the United States and Europe
and also traveling to Egypt, Tunisia, the Yucatan Peninsula,
Argentina and Chile. They also enjoyed many cruises.
Janet is survived by her dear husband of 63 years, three
daughters; Susan Dunham Smolinsky and her husband Dr.
Lawrence Smolinsky of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Cynthia Dyer
and her husband Donald of East Falmouth, Massachusetts; and
Carol Anne Vaicunas and her husband Raymond Vaicunas of
Randolph, New Jersey. She is also survived by four
grandchildren: Rachael and Luke Vaicunas and Nathan and
Alyssa Dyer. Janet is survived by her sister Carolyn of Montpelier, Vermont.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers
contributions may be made to either of the following
scholarships: The Wallace C. and Janet S. Dunham Prize or the
Wallace and Janet Dunham Ecology & Environment Sciences
Program Scholarship c/o University of Maine Foundation,
Buchanan Alumni House, 2 Alumni Place, Orono, Maine 04469-5792.
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