Janet Grahn

MILLBURY - Janet Evelyn (Picking) Grahn, 81, passed away peacefully at her home on July 24, 2021 from complications of dementia. Born in Worcester, MA, Janet was a lifelong resident of Millbury. A 1958 graduate of Millbury High School, Janet went on to obtain her associates degree in Accounting from the New England School of Accounting (formerly Salter’s Secretarial School) in Worcester while starting her family. As a teenager she had started her career at Ballard Motor Sales in Millbury. She later worked at Worcester Gas and Light and then for Allan Ojerholm, CPA as an accountant for a decade before returning to the family business in 1988 as Treasurer and accountant for Ballard Mack Sales and Service (now Ballard Truck Center) until her retirement in 2015.

Janet and her beloved husband, Everett Grahn, were married for nearly 54 years before his death in 2016. Together they raised their family in Millbury and loved spending time with family and friends at the family camp at Lake Singletary in Sutton, MA. They enjoyed traveling and especially loved trips to Aruba where good friends became family. Over the years Janet volunteered many hours at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Worcester, MA on the church council, Finance Committee, and as a Sunday School teacher. In her spare time, she faithfully cheered on her sons (and later her grandsons) at their sporting events as well as her Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots.

Janet was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Everett; her parents, John William Picking and Thyra Evelyn (Ekstrom) Picking; and her dear niece, Jeryl (Picking) Anderson. She is survived by her two sons, Steven Grahn and his wife Michelle (Franchi) Grahn of Leicester, and Barry Grahn and his wife Kathleen (Mears) Grahn of Riverton, NJ; her beloved grandchildren, Samantha, Rebecca, Christopher, and Matthew Grahn; her brother Robert “Bob” K. Picking and sister-in-law Virginia “Ginny” (Wilbur) Picking; dear nephew John Picking and Nancy (Lynch) Picking; and great nieces and nephews Robert D. Picking, Larissa (Picking) Mattrick, Scott Anderson, and Valerie Anderson; and great nephew and niece Bryson and Nora Picking. She will also be greatly missed by many cousins, including Ronald and Jerilyn Stead, and dear friends, including Harriet and David “Mike” Ducharme. She will be remembered with gratitude by those carrying on the business she founded and grew with her brother at Ballard Truck Center.

Janet’s family would like to thank her dedicated in-home caregivers from CSA Eldercare, especially Pauline, Janet, Nelly, Margaret, Fidelis, and Sue.

Janet’s memorial service will be private at the convenience of the family in keeping with Covid precautions. There are no calling hours.

I f you wish to make a memorial contribution in Janet’s name, please donate to the Alzheimer’s Association at act.alz.org or an Alzheimer’s/Dementia charity of your choice.