Cornish
Others would be peeling off gear after clomping into the lodge in their ski boots. In the midst of it all was a cheerful Janet Avery, making sure kids had hot chocolate and checking to see if everyone had mittens and hats.
If you were a kid in Cornish during the 1970s and 1980s and eagerly anticipated skiing on Fridays, you probably have Avery to thank.
For 16 years Avery, who died Dec. 31, 2016, in Florida at age 74 from cancer, was chairwoman of the Parent Teacher Organization’s ski program, spearheading its growth from a handful of students when she took over to well over 100 by the time she was finished in 1989.
“I think the last year there were 125 kids,” said Jean Duval, a close friend of Avery’s and a chaperone with the ski program for nine years when her children participated. “It never would have blossomed into what it was without Janet.”
Skiing was a regular activity for Avery, her husband, Richard, and three children, Lori, Rich, and Barbara, and she relished the opportunity to share that enthusiasm for the sport with other children.
The more kids Avery could introduce to skiing, the happier it made her.
“No child left behind. That was huge for Janet,” said Duval.
After she took over, participation kept growing along with the number of volunteers eager to help.
“Maybe it was her enthusiasm for doing something for someone else,” said her daughter Lori, of Grantham, about why the program became so wildly popular. “She was in her element with this program. She loved to see kids happy and having fun.”
Avery grew up in Lebanon — though she was born in Three Rivers, Mass. while her parents, Wilbrod and Marie Gagner, were on vacation — and graduated from Lebanon High School. In 1962 she was married to Richard Avery and they would eventually settle in Cornish Flat, where they lived until moving to Florida two years ago.
Avery worked for a time at Woolworth’s and Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital until deciding to become a full-time mother when her son was born in 1965. From 1986 to 2004, she was the catering director at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
The ski program was one of several volunteer efforts that Avery joyfully undertook. Her daughters were both Girl Scouts and she was a Scout leader. Her husband was a Boy Scout leader while son Rich was a Scout.
“She was not in the Boy Scouts but she was a support system for a lot of activities,” Duval said.
Avery began running the ski program in the early 1970s and over the years built a strong relationship with owners of the Ascutney ski area, scheduling lessons and more, such as “Coke Day,” with free skiing and cake.
In 1988, Avery was honored by the New Hampshire School Volunteer Program with an Outstanding School Volunteer Award for her work coordinating the program between the school and ski area, bringing together other volunteers, teachers and parents and arranging for transportation, equipment and more.
“It took a lot of people and they cared about the program because they saw how much she cared,” said Rich.
Sue Chandler, who ran the program for a number of years after Avery, said it has become an institution in Cornish that continues today and its impact on the Cornish community cannot be overstated.
“It was not just the school but a whole community endeavor,” Chandler said. “Cornish really supports it. It is an amazing program. Sometimes we had 50 parents helping out.”
Chandler called Avery a “distinctly strong force” for the program and nominated her for the volunteer award. Avery’s deflected the praise and credited many who made the program successful, including Betty Macy, who worked with her.
“Janet was always very humble,” Chandler said. “And she was worthy of that award.”
The program’s growth was likely because Avery wanted it to be inclusive, not exclusive, which is not easy with an expensive sport. Avery didn’t want any child left behind, said those who remember her philosophy.
“If a kid wanted to go skiing, they went skiing,” said Lori, who became a ski chaperone when she was older.
“She made an expensive sport inexpensive for the youth in Cornish,” added Rich. “The youth wanted to be part of something that was successful and to belong and she made everyone feel like they belonged. It was unique and special and the kids wanted to be part of it.”
Lori recalled a time or two when the principal approached her mother and said ” ‘Janet, I have a kid…’” and before he could finish, Avery would say, ” ‘I’ll take care of it.’ ”
Avery arranged for scholarships and would ask some families if they were able to pay for all or part of another child’s participation, Chandler said.
Avery’s commitment to making the ski program a centerpiece of winters in Cornish introduced a lot of children to skiing and made it a lifelong pursuit for them that they otherwise may never have experienced
“We weren’t skiers,” said Duval, adding that her daughter went on to become a ski instructor and was on the National Ski Patrol at Storrs Hill. “It all came about because of that program.”
Kay Kibbie, a neighbor of Avery’s and a volunteer, said she got a lot of them into ski racing.
When Avery’s obituary appeared, Lori said she heard from several people who told her, ” ‘Oh I skied today and was thinking of your mom. She was the best.’”
The ski program organizing started in the fall right after Christmas the family kitchen table became “PTA Ski Program Central,” Lori remembers.
Her mother would field phone calls about signup or maybe from a parent searching for a size 6 boot. Avery got to know each child’s size and ability so she could connect parents whose child had outgrown their equipment with parents she knew would need something for their child.
Then came the first day when a caravan that included one bus, several cars and a truck with skis and other equipment, headed off from the school to Ascutney Mountain Resort.
Avery always showed up at the mountain with a bag full of hats and mittens, Duval said.
“If a kid needed something, she had it.” At the lodge, Avery made sure no child went without.
The lodge ran “a tab” for hot chocolate and Avery would settle up as they got ready to leave,” said Lori.
“She always had money in her pocket or brought along extra sandwiches and food. That was who she was.”
While Avery loved volunteering – “she always wanted to do more than her share,” said Rich – her family came first.
“Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, sports (soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, Babe Ruth), cheerleading, it didn’t matter, she was there for us,” said Lori. “Later on, that same dedication went on with her grandchildren.”
Ryan Follensbee, her first grandson, said his grandmother scaled back some on volunteering as her grandchildren got older and she was equally devoted to each and every one, attending important milestones in their lives, even though some lived out of the area.
“She always hit the big seminal events and traveled great distances,” said Follensbee. “It could be to New York, Maine or Florida. She was always there, and sweet as ever.”
While the ski program earned Avery public recognition, she was known to many others for small acts of kindness.
The Avery children remember a neighbor who husband had died and because she never learned to drive, was dependent on others. Their mother became the woman’s guardian.
“She did a lot for other people. That was her nature,” said her daughter Barbara, who lives in Florida.
Family friend Ruth Rollins described Avery as a “real go-getter in Cornish,” filled with kindness.
“She was just a really nice person,” Rollins said, who remembers Avery doing a lot for another neighbor who was legally blind.
“If he had an appointment, she would take him,” Rollins said. “She did an awful lot for him.
“You do things for people who can’t always do for themselves. Janet was like that.”
A burial service for Avery will be held June 22 at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com
