Janet V. Vanderlaan, 93, of South Kingstown, Rhode Island went home to be with her

Lord on August 31, 2026.

Born in South Kingstown, Janet was the loving daughter of S. Curtis Carpenter and Elaine P. (Pitcher) Carpenter. She was the wife of the late B. Arthur Vanderlaan for 61 years, who preceded her in death in 2020.

Janet was brought up on her father's dairy farm in Matunuck. During the summers of 1950 and '51 she ran the hot dog stand at Roy Carpenter's Beach (the beach of her Uncle Robert "Bud" Carpenter and Grandfather Roy) and earned money for her college tuition.

She was a 1950 South Kingstown High School graduate and earned her BA, RN in 1955 at the University of Rhode Island, one of only 11 graduates in URI's nursing program. Friendships formed during that time were some of the longest and dearest. She worked as Assistant Supervisor for the Providence District Nurse Association and later for the South Kingstown Visiting Nurses, and also taught Community Health for the University of Rhode Island. She was office nurse for Dr. Thomas Nestor for 12 years until his retirement, after which she then provided home care nursing. During her retirement she volunteered for 20 years as Chaplain Assistant and on the Art Committee at South County Hospital. She was always available to offer nursing care and advice to family, friends and neighbors.

Janet was a member of Perryville Bible Church since 1947. Her passion was the mission ministry. She actively served the Lord on the church missions board for 50 years and also taught Sunday School classes. In 2009 at the age of 77, she went on a mission trip to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to aid in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

She was an avid reader and even in later years when her sight was limited, she listened to numerous audio books made available through Perkins Library. She did extensive research on her family genealogy and had a great memory for local history.

In her early years she enjoyed sketching, and later in retirement she took art lessons at the Neighborhood Guild for over 15 years, creating many paintings, including those of her grandchildren and local scenes.

She loved the sport of baseball and as a child enjoyed trips to watch the Brooklyn Dodgers play the Boston Braves with her Grandfather Roy Carpenter. She faithfully followed the Red Sox and enjoyed watching sports of all kinds. She was thrilled to be able to attend a World Series game the year the Red Sox broke the "curse of the bambino" in 2004. She spent several years participating in the Senior Water Aerobics classes at U.R.I. and enjoyed the friendships she made there.

Janet had a great sense of humor and was most always seen smiling. Her life was one of deep faith and service. She was a very kind, giving person and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She loved all of her family very much.

She is survived by her children, Carol (Brian), Eric (Deb), David (Terri), and Peter (Allison); ten grandchildren: David, Daniel (Amy), Christopher, Tyler (Jessica), Bryce, Kali, Sophia, Laura, Haley (Mike) and Molly; and one great granddaughter, Alennia. Her brother-in-law, John, a niece and several nephews. She was predeceased by her beloved sisters, Marion C. Gledhill and Sandra L. Roberts.

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 from 4 to 7 PM in the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield. Her funeral service will take place on Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10 AM in the Perryville Bible Church, 220 Moonstone Beach Rd, South Kingstown. Burial will follow in the Perryville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations made be made to Perryville Bible Church or to the mission agency of your choice.