Hartland, VT – Janet Louise Spencer, 62, of Hartland, Vermont, died unexpectedly on December 21, 2025, after being struck by a car. The day marked the winter solstice, which she embraced as a time of returning light and renewal, a meaning that brings comfort to those who loved her.
Janet was a woman of formidable intelligence, exacting standards, deep loyalty, and fierce love. She brought integrity and strength to every part of her life and left a lasting mark on those fortunate enough to be in her orbit. Beneath her formidable exterior lived a mischievous wit, an infectious laugh, and a generous heart that loved deeply and without half measures.
That strength carried into her life and work. Born April 5, 1963, in Windsor, Vermont, and raised in Plainfield, New Hampshire, Janet showed early the independence and determination that would define her path. She earned her PhD in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and began her consulting career at W. Warner Burke Associates, working with clients including NASA and British Airways. She went on to build a distinguished career as a management consultant helping CEOs and senior leaders guide their organizations through complex change. She served as a managing director at Delta Consulting Group and later worked in collaboration with Genesis Advisors while continuing her independent consulting practice. Over the course of her career, she worked globally, developing leaders and advising organizations with her characteristic rigor and insight. Her clients included hundreds of senior executives, many of whom became lasting allies and friends. She co-authored “Executive Teams” and published numerous book chapters on change management and leadership.
Beyond her professional life, Janet cultivated a rich home life. She surrounded herself with books and ideas, cherishing an eclectic library that reflected her wide-ranging curiosity and many journeys. Her homes were warm, layered spaces filled with books, magical touches, home-cooked meals, gardens alive with flowers and pollinators, the happy presence of her beloved dogs, and the easy flow of visiting friends. She returned to New England during her treatment for breast cancer and, after recovering, chose to remain, shaping her Vermont home and farm into a place she loved deeply and where she found renewal near her family and the land where she grew up.
At the center of that life were her relationships. Though quiet by nature, Janet became the gravitational center of a wide circle of friends. During her decades in New York and later in Connecticut and Vermont, she formed a close chosen family bound by love, humor, and shared experiences. These relationships existed alongside her abiding love for her parents, siblings, and their families. Janet could be direct and sometimes sharp-edged, qualities those closest to her recognized as expressions of her deep commitment to truth. She did not always soften her words for colleagues, family, friends, or romantic partners, yet those exchanges often fostered understanding and respect. Beneath that exterior was a deep warmth and generosity that drew people in and held them there. She opened her home and her life to others, caring for the people around her and allowing herself to be cared for in return. Those who knew her best understood that her toughness and tenderness were inseparable.
Janet was predeceased by her parents, Winston F. Spencer and Claudine Mae Spencer. She is survived by her siblings Winston F. Spencer Jr., Patty Spencer, and Sarah Spencer; by her niece Amanda Williams, her nephews Winston F. Spencer III, Christopher Spencer, and Bryan Tibbals; by her former husband, Francis Laros of New York City; and by her cherished friends.
Gatherings to celebrate Janet’s life are planned in Woodstock, Vermont, and New York City in May 2026. Details will be shared at a later date.
Donations in Janet’s memory may be made to the National Bernese Mountain Dog Rescue Network, the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock, Vermont, the Vermont 4-H Foundation, or the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. In Janet’s honor, please consider lifelong learning, caring for yourself and others, planting a native tree in your community, and remembering, as she did, not only to count your blessings but to share them.
An on-line guestbook can be found at cabotfh.com
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