Obituary of Janet Marie Heffernan

Janet Heffernan, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona passed away on November 1, 2017. She was born on July 11, 1925 in Baltimore, Maryland to her parents, George and Marie Rennex. She was 92 years of age.

Janet attended and graduated from East High School, Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1943. After high school, during World War II, Janet worked in Washington, D.C. in the government agency as a secretary. She met her first husband, Harold, in the "What Cheer Ice Cream Shoppe" in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Janet and Harold were united in marriage in Seekonk, Massachusetts on December 23, 1947. After leaving her job in Washington, D.C., she worked as a secretary at Oklahoma Methodist Indian Mission and for the Oklahoma State Legislature. She was a very meticulous perfectionist who could type pages of copy with carbon paper with a single mistake.

Between Pawtucket, Rhode Island and Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Janet and Harold would fall in love with many other cities and decided to make them their residence. Among just some of them were; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada, and Palm Desert, California. They moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1983 when Harold became ill. In 1984, Janet moved to Birmingham, Alabama.

Janet and her second husband, Jim Heffernan, connected at their Pawtucket East High School class reunion. Jim was her high school sweetheart from the time she was 16 years old, it was a true love affair. Walking into a room at 72 years of age, Jim would always say "Isn't she beautiful?" He always remembered her being a young girl and we were so happy she had a second chance at love. Janet and Jim moved back to Lake Havasu City, Arizona in 1997 and on December 29, 1999 they were married in Lake Havasu City.

Janet enjoyed playing bridge with her friends, playing the piano, singing and playing a good round of golf. She was also a member of Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church.

After a stroke in 2007, she moved to Assisted Living and in 2009 she moved to Prestige at Clairemont, where she made many friends and enjoyed the activities and her time there. In May of 2017, she moved to Flowers Assisted Living due to her need for greater care. She was in the presence of all her children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter when she passed.

Janet was preceded in death by her first husband, Harold Bertozzi; daughter, Candace Bertozzi; siblings, Virginia LaChapelle, Milton Rennex, and George Rennex, and second husband, James Heffernan.

She is survived by her daughters, Linda Bertozzi and Margaret Bertozzi; grandchildren, Autumn Falk and James Thurmond and great-granddaughter, Lily Falk.

A Celebration will be held at a later date.

Services were placed in the care of Lietz-Fraze Funeral Home.