JANET MAY SPROUT

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JANET MAY SPROUT August 8, 1953 - September 19, 2010 Janet Sprout died at age 57 from cancer. She leaves to mourn her loving husband, David Patton; her children, Jennifer Dyck-Sprout and Nelson Dyck-Sprout; her parents Eleanor and Norman Sprout of Chilliwack; her brother, Brian Sprout (Virginia Statton) of Kelowna; her sister, Sharon Sprout (Dave Woodske), and niece and nephew Sarah and Brett Woodske of Chilliwack. Also surviving her are her stepchildren, Mark, Andrew and Tom Patton, and her first husband, Harold Dyck of Winnipeg. Janet will be remembered for the kindness and everlasting love that she gave our family. Janet was born in Kelowna, BC. She graduated from Kelowna Secondary School (1971) and received her BA (1977) from U.B.C. and her MSc (1997) in Community Health Sciences from University of Manitoba. Janet had a varied career, starting out in the mid 1970s at a telephone answering service. At age 23, she led the fight for the first successful unionization of a telephone answering service in Canada at a time when unionization of women workers was not a priority for traditional male-dominated unions. Next, Janet worked for the B.C. Human Rights Commission as a human rights investigator from 1979 to 1981. Janet moved on to health and safety issues, a field in which she remained for the rest of her life. As a Worker Advisor, she helped injured workers and their dependents with their workers compensation claims and appeals, first in British Columbia and then in Manitoba, after moving to Winnipeg in 1982. In 1990, Janet began work with Workplace Safety and Health Division, first as an analyst and later as Manager of Prevention Services. Her employment as a departmental director with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba completed her professional career. Janet was a life-long, active volunteer. Most recently, she sat on the Board of Directors for the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and was an English coach for new immigrants. In the past, she sat on AFM's Board of Directors, her children's daycare boards and represented the public on the College of Registered Nurses. Janet was also an actor with the Nellie McClung Theatre group in the early 1980s. While in Vancouver, Janet was a volunteer counsellor for several rape and crisis centres and an advocate for immigrant workers employed as domestic and farm labourers. Janet valued her friends. She was always arranging lunch dates and girlfriends' suppers. Janet will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by many. Her family wishes to thank her many wonderful friends who were always at her side during her two year battle with cancer, and the great staff in Palliative Care at St. Boniface Hospital. In lieu of flowers, Janet has requested that donations be made in her name to Kiva.org, an organization that allows individuals to lend to entrepreneurs in developing countries. The loans, once paid back, can be re-loaned in perpetuity in Janet's name. Visit http://www.kiva.org/gifts/gift-certificates/buy to donate, or http://www.kiva.org/lender/janetsproutmemorialf9549 to view Janet's profile. For more information, contact her daughter Jennifer. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at Glen Lawn Funeral Home (455 Lagimodiere Blvd.) Interment will follow in Glen Lawn Memorial Gardens. Glen Lawn Funeral Home 982-7550

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 23, 2010