Neigh

Janet Ellen Neigh, 68, of Silver Spring, Md., died unexpectedly Oct. 16.

Born in Butler, Feb. 6, 1941, she was the daughter of Mildred (Weiland) Neigh and the late Alfred J. Neigh.

Janet was a graduate of St. Wendelin School in Carbon Center, Butler High School and Indiana (Pa.) University.

She has lived in the Washington, D.C., area since 1965.

Janet worked for the U.S. Senate for a decade, including on the staff of the Foreign Relations Committee and the Committee on Aging.

For the past 25 years, she worked for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), where she was vice president for hospice programs and director of the Hospice Association of America. Her responsibilities included representing the hospice community to Congress, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

Her work with hospice focused on assisting the pain for the loss of loved ones. She also provided technical assistance to member hospices of NAHC and was editor of Caring Magazine's Hospice Forum. She was easing into a well-deserved retirement at the time of her death.

Janet loved to travel, exploring and understanding ancient cultures and traditions. She had an intrinsic ability to notice the finer points of art, theater and music. This talent permeated through her innate skill to be a world-class shopper, hunting globally for beautiful antiques and handcrafted garments at craft shows, auctions and flea markets, which she loved to give as presents to loved ones.

She was intrigued by Eastern religions and celestial activity as they related to alternative healing. As a certified Reiki healing instructor, she generously reinforced others energy to help ailments, while also entertaining friends and family with numerology and palm reading.

Janet's positive vigor and unique wisdom will be sorely missed.

She is survived by her son, Christopher S. R. Neigh, his wife, Gina, and their daughter, Victoria of Crownsville, Md. She also is survived by her mother, Mildred, of Butler; five brothers, Charles, John, James, Robert and Thomas, all of Butler; four sisters, Mary Catherine Laughlin, Ruth Ann Kinnick and Teri Ely of Butler and Annette Williams of Highland, Md.; 26 nieces and nephews; and 33 great-nieces and great-nephews.

Her father, Alfred, preceded her in death.

<B>NEIGH</B> — Friends and family Janet Ellen Neigh, who died Friday, Oct. 16, 2009, will gather from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 at <B>Geibel Funeral Home</B>, 201 E. Cunningham St. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at St. Wendelin Roman Catholic. Church in Carbon Center.You are welcome to add your tribute remembering Janet at www.nahc.org.Information also is available at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.