Obituary: Janet Tudhope Austin, 1933-2025

Janet Tudhope Austin died on October 23, 2025, in Fort Myers, Fla. She died one day after suffering a stroke while on her way to one of her regular croquet matches. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by the love and support of her entire family, both in person and in spirit.

Janet was born on June 8, 1933, in Burlington, Vt., to Ira Charles Tudhope and Katherine Branch Tudhope. A proud native Vermonter, Janet grew up in the town of North Hero by the shores of Lake Champlain. As a child she studied in a one-room schoolhouse. Janet graduated from Burlington High School, where she met her future husband, Edward “Ned” Austin Jr. In 1954 she graduated from the University of Vermont School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Janet maintained close relationships throughout her life with many people she met in high school and college. Her ability to create meaningful friendships remained constant throughout her life, wherever she worked or lived. These friendships were always an important part of Janet’s life.

Janet and Ned married in 1955 and began a long and productive life together. They lived in Burlington or South Burlington for nearly their entire lives, until they began splitting their time between Vermont and Florida. Together they raised three sons. They taught them to ski and play golf, activities shared by the entire family, while the boys lived at home. Following the common practice of the time, Janet provided most of the care to her sons. She taught them manners, grammar, humor, honesty, discipline (an essential practice when raising three boys) and hard work. As a mother, Janet did not tolerate misbehavior. Janet showed her greatest compassion when caring for her family when they were unwell.

Janet had a wicked sense of humor. She loved to scare people as a joke. She would hide in a closet and jump out when people least expected it. She loved to play April Fools’ jokes. Janet laughed hard, many times until she produced tears in her eyes. Her humor may be one reason she made so many friends.

As adults, all of Janet’s sons chose to live, work and raise their own families living in communities near Janet and Ned. This allowed Janet and Ned to maintain close, supportive and loving relationships with their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. The entire family benefited greatly from this experience. The family gathered for nearly every holiday to enjoy Janet’s impeccable hospitality. The family also shared a love of golf. This shared passion provided many opportunities for the family to spend time together. Janet and Ned’s children and grandchildren will be forever grateful for the love, support and companionship they all received for so many decades.

Before having her first child in 1956, Janet worked as a registered nurse. She worked at various hospitals in New England. The start of a family, however, did not stop Janet from applying her seemingly limitless energy to further career and civic activities. While raising three sons, she volunteered at several local charitable organizations. Janet and Ned also regularly entertained friends for dinner parties. She was the consummate hostess who insisted that everything be perfect, every time she entertained. Janet continued this practice throughout her long life.

As Janet’s children grew older, Janet felt the urge to restart her working life. Janet had a bottomless work ethic. In the late 1960s, Janet acquired a Christmas wreath business that she single-handedly ran out of the family home in Burlington. Each December the basement and garage were filled with evergreen branches that Janet transformed into stunningly beautiful wreaths. The excellence of her wreaths offered just one example of her creativity and skills in decorating. In the early ’70s, Janet sold the wreath business and began selling real estate with Lang Associates. Her hard work, integrity, excellent taste and ability to connect with people allowed her to become a successful residential realtor in and around Burlington, Vt. She spent her entire real estate career with Lang Associates, eventually serving as general manager of the firm. After her retirement, Lang Associates developed the Janet T. Austin Award, which was created to honor Janet’s leadership and company spirit. Janet developed many more close friends during her years with Lang Associates.

Janet devoted considerable energy and leadership to multiple community and nonprofit organizations. Among the many, she was most passionate about her service to the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Visiting Nurses Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties. She served for many years as a volunteer, assisting patients and their families. In 2006 the UVM Alumni Association awarded Janet the Distinguished Service Award. In 2015 the UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences created a permanent award called the Janet T. Austin Nursing Alumnus Award. The award is given to a distinguished alumnus of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Janet learned to play golf as an adult because it was an Austin family game. It provided Janet with an outlet for her highly competitive nature. For many decades, she played golf as a member at the Burlington Country Club in Vermont and Fiddlesticks Country Club in Florida. She consistently competed in club matches, interclub matches and statewide amateur events. She also took many, many golf lessons. As a senior golfer, Janet enjoyed considerable success, often bettering people many years her junior. In 2005 Janet played in the Vermont Senior Women’s Amateur and won the Legends Championship. Before she gave up golf, Janet shot her age or better many times. Janet also competed at bridge, a Tudhope family game. She was an excellent and competitive bridge player. She enjoyed the competition and companionship of her fellow competitors right up until her death. She always preferred winning.

After her body would no longer allow her to play golf, Janet took up croquet to satisfy her need for more competition. Not the kind you play in the backyard, but the game played on perfectly level grass courts and with fancy mallets. As a novice she competed against other women. To her disappointment, the women did not take it seriously enough and were “not very good.” She shifted her focus to competing with the men who played croquet. Much to her pleasure, she beat them on a regular basis. Janet never bragged. She did, however, like to tell her sons about her victories.

Janet is survived by her son Edward “Tod” L. Austin III, his wife, Anne, of Bonita Springs, Fla., and their children, Lauren Mullins (Bobby), Mary Libby (Ian) and Edward “Lucas” Austin IV (Holly); her son David T. Austin, his wife, Joanne, of South Burlington and Fort Myers, Fla., and their children, David T. Austin Jr., Douglas S. Austin (Britt) and Melissa M. Gentile; and her son Craig D. Austin, his wife, Kelly, of South Hero, and their children, William W. Austin (Charlotte) and John “Jack” E. Austin (Rebecca). Janet is also survived by 11 great grandchildren, all of whom are aged 8 years or less. She is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins. Janet remained devoted to her entire family, especially her sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. We all miss her very much.

Janet’s devoted husband of 64 years, Ned Austin, predeceased her on October 26, 2019. Janet was also predeceased by her brother, Douglas I. Tudhope, and his wife, Netta “Billie” E. Tudhope, of North Hero; Ned’s brother, Frank W. Austin; Ned’s sister, Mary Roberta “Bobbie” A. Conzelman; and Bobbie’s husband, Lt. Col. Peter S. Conzelman.

For those who would like to make a donation in Janet’s honor, please consider the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences, c/o UVM Foundation, 411 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401, or the University of Vermont Health Network Home Health & Hospice (formerly the Visiting Nurses Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties), located at 1110 Prim Rd., Colchester, VT 05446.

The family plans to hold two memorial services, one on November 5, 2025, 11 a.m., at the Shell Point Chapel in Fort Myers, Fla., and a second next spring at the First Congregational Church, 38 South Winooski Ave., Burlington, VT.

This article appears in Nov 5-11 2025.