This article originally appeared in the Hartford Current.
Janet Wishart Viggiano, 78, who served as the Rocky Hill Registrar of Voters for nearly two decades, died peacefully on April 3, 2025. She is survived by her loving husband, Joe, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and John Bowes. Her beloved son, Brendan, predeceased her in 2021.
Born in Hartford, on March 24, 1947, Janet was raised in Wethersfield of ancestry that dated back to the American Revolution. She attended Wethersfield High School and went on to obtain her nursing degree from Saint Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Hartford. From there, she worked as a licensed practical nurse at Saint Francis Hospital and the Wethersfield Manor Nursing Home, where she cared for the elderly.
She left that career early to stay at home with her two children in Rocky Hill, the town where she became a model of civic responsibility. In addition to the five elections that she easily won as the Registrar of Voters, she served for 35 years on the Democratic Town Committee, as the President of the Rocky Hill Democratic Women’s Club, and as a member of the Personnel Review and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Boards. When she wasn’t in Rocky Hill, she could be found at Point O’ Woods Beach in Old Lyme, where she summered with her children and grandchildren for more than 50 years.
She was a diehard Red Sox fan who never missed watching a game and named her Labrador retriever Fenweigh. Known for her dry sense of humor and wit, Janet couldn’t help but make others laugh even in her last days. She would often joke with her caretakers at Maple View Health and Rehabilitation Center especially Elizabeth and Shanoy, both of whom she insisted be included in this obituary.
In addition to her husband and daughter, she is survived by seven grandsons who affectionately referred to her as “Poppi”, Thomas Joseph Viggiano, Connor and Logan Grosse, Malcolm Simpson, Johnny and Noah Bowes and Christian Viggiano. She also leaves her brothers and sisters-in-law, Anthony and Sharon Viggiano, Fred Viggiano, David and Shirley Viggiano, Jacqueline and Robert Scott, many nieces and nephews and a number of beloved Wishart cousins. In addition to her son, she was predeceased by her best friend of more than 50 years, Janice Zimmerman, and her sister-in-law, Mary Viggiano.
Visiting hours will be held at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home 219 W. Center St., Manchester, CT, from 4 to 8 pm, Monday, April 7. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 am, Tuesday, April 8, at Saint Augustine Church, 470 Maple Ave., Hartford, CT, with burial to follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rocky Hill Food Pantry, 673 Old Main St., Rocky Hill, CT 06067. Checks can be made payable to:” Town of Rocky Hill”. For online condolences, please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.
