Janet Hubbard
Janet Hubbard departed this earth peacefully on August 31, 2024, at home, surrounded by family. She was born in Richmond, VA, in 1944, on the summer solstice -- the longest day of the year, and also the day her peonies never failed to bloom in her garden.
Janet was the second of four siblings born in quick succession to Lil and Samuel Hubbard. Her sister Harriet and she were like twins. Harriet blossomed into a great beauty, while Janet loved school and learned the art of friendship. She followed her sister, Sammye, to Virginia Intermont College, an all-girls Baptist school, where she majored in Theater and English arts. She likened it to “unleashing a colt into a pasture.” She was accepted as an apprentice at The Virginia State Theater and soon after traveled to Paris for the first time, which began a love affair with the city that lasted a lifetime.
She went to NYC for a classmate’s wedding, applied for a job, and moved north into the Barbizon Hotel for Women, aka “The Dollhouse.” She appeared on a TV gameshow and miraculously won enough money to put a deposit down on her first apartment. She remained in the city for the next 12 years.
Janet worked at various small publishing houses, then Random House, before she was hired at Time Life Inc., where she became a researcher. She simultaneously enrolled in NYU and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. Time Life asked her to go to Iran to work at their new publishing house, but when the trip was delayed, she jumped on a train for an adventure to a friend’s hunting cabin in Moretown, Vermont, to write. A rugged looking guy knocked on the door, looking for someone else, and the rest is history.
Janet married Frank Brown two years later, and their two children, Luke and Ramsey, were born in 1980 and 1982. She wrote 25 books for Chelsea House Publishers and several History Mystery books, among many other freelance gigs, while she raised her children. She never lost her passion for theater -- in 1988 she woke up with a children’s musical on her mind, and “Heart of the Mountain” was born. The show traveled all over the state of Vermont before winning a peace prize in Germany the following year.
Janet took an unconventional and thrilling approach to parenting. She loved to play, to dress up, to make up characters, and to explore the vast woods around her. She taught the many children who adored her to approach life with curiosity and wonder. She introduced her children to the world at young ages and encouraged them to explore as many cultures and countries as possible, which they did. She believed the classroom wasn’t the only place to get an education.
Janet divorced at 58 and became a novelist. She wrote three mysteries set in the wine districts of France. She founded a writing workshop in her home called Closet Writers Ink, another at her sister’s ranch in Wyoming, and a third at a chateau in Burgundy, France. She derived great pleasure in mentoring writers and helping them to find their authentic voices. She was an avid supporter of the arts and sat on multiple boards, most notably Phantom Theater where she wrote promotional articles and produced many shows over the course of 40 years. Her final novel, “The Eloquence Of Grief,” was published in September 2024.
Janet lived life on her own terms. She developed a strong philosophy on how to accomplish a wildly abundant life: Wear more lipstick, have a glass, throw fabulous dinner parties, laugh at yourself, talk to strangers (who will become friends), go to Paris, wear red, read great books, and most importantly say yeeesss (in a southern accent) as often as possible.
She leaves behind her three siblings; Sammye, Harriet, and Charles, her two children; Luke and Ramsey, her daughter-in-law; Carlene, and her eight grandchildren; Yzabelle, Kaiden, Michelangelo, Zypporah, Camille, Samuel, Sophia, and Everest, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and the best friends anyone could ever dream of.
A celebration of Janet’s life takes place October 9, 3 to 6 p.m. at Bliss Ridge Farm.
A book launch event for Janet’s final novel, “The Eloquence of Grief,” takes place October 10, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Red Barn Galleries, Lareau Farm / details: phantomtheater.org.
