Janie and Carl Memorial

Casey & Colin Lacombe’s life changed forever in August of 2015 when they unexpectedly lost their dad at the young age of 52.  After the loss of his own father, Carl struggled immensely with the grief, which eventually led to his own death.  

Crushed by her husband’s death, Janie Lacombe never got over this loss.  After making Christmas the best that she could for her boys, she watched her older son Casey turn 21 on December 29th.  Janie’s grief was overwhelming as she experienced yet another important milestone of their families’ lives without Carl by her side.  

Very early on the morning of December 31st, Colin found his mom unconscious on the couch when he came down to check on her before heading to bed.  She appeared to be choking.  After doing everything he could to try and revive his mom, Janie passed in her son’s arms.  Although Colin had called for an ambulance, by the time they had arrived it was too late.

Although the Lacombe boys have lost their “Momma Bear” they are also comforted by the knowledge that she has once again been reunited with their father...her true love.

If asked by the boys, they would tell you that they are so grateful for the wonderful times that they got to share with the “crazy...rebellious...wild and free woman” that they were lucky enough to call mom.  No matter the grief she was feeling at the loss of her husband, Janie always did what she had to do to make sure that her boys knew she was there for them.

Anyone would tell you that she and Colin loved to shop and you would commonly find them in the fragrance department in Macy’s sampling and buying all kinds of costly perfumes and colognes!

Casey’s fondest memories of his mom were watching movies...Marvel was their favorite!  They also spent lots of time on the couch enjoying episodes of Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU.

Although cut so short, their dad’s life was a full one!  Carl grew up in Beverly, MA, which instilled in him his unending love of all things Boston!  Whether hiking, biking or kayaking, you could always find Carl outside enjoying the weather.  A carpenter by trade, he used his skills to build he and Janie’s dream home and even surprised her with the wrap around porch and raised flower bed she had always dreamed of, for their 15th wedding anniversary.

Janie came to this area with a scholarship to Smith College after being born in New Britain, CT.  With a degree in Special Education, she used her skills to work with the children of South Hadley.  Janie treated all of the kids that came into her life as if they were her own.   Her talents didn’t end with teaching either as she was an avid artist in Northampton.  Janie could be described as a “people person” as she helped anyone in need without question.  Besides spending time with her boys, Janie loved their Australian Shepherd Indy, her colorful garden of flowers, dragonflies, and a glass of wine on her porch.  If asked, her favorite pastime was vacationing at the Cape with her family.

There is no question that these boys were loved, but the road they have ahead will be long and arduous.  How quickly our lives can change in just one day.  Most young adults don’t experience the passing of even one parent, however, Casey and Colin have endured this profound loss not only once, but twice.  Their complete anguish and loss are more than they should have to deal with at their age, let’s do what we can to ban together as a community to relieve some of the financial burdens that they are left with.


All donations will be sent directly to Casey and Colin in order to help keep them in the house they grew up in, along with all other expenses. In lieu of flowers, donations are extremely appreciated, and can be made here.