Janet V (Guarnotta) Dennis

Janet Victoria Dennis (Guarnotta), age 94, of Quincy, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on April 6, 2026, surrounded by her loving family.

Janet was born in South Boston to her parents Michael and Mary (Crimi) Guarnotta and grew up in Savin Hill, Dorchester. She graduated from Jerimiah Burke High School and worked for New England Telephone and Telegraph in Boston, Massachusetts, and after she raised her children, she went to work at South Shore Bank in Quincy.

Janet was the very first person to buy an MBTA token which was at the  Washington Street Station in Boston on her way to the New England Telephone Company.

Janet met her husband, Jim, at a nightclub in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. On their second date, Jim got on stage and sang to Janet. They married the following year, the same year Janet’s two sisters, Anne and Grace, also married. Such a close family. Janet’s four sisters, Frances Bonanno, Anne Stanziani, Mary Ciroli, and Grace Ochs, along with their cousin Mary Hurley and sister-in-law Eileen Dougherty, were inseparable. They spent many years traveling together to Florida and Falmouth, MA always singing, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. There was never a dull moment with the Guarnotta sisters and her cousins.They were inseparable. She so enjoyed spending time her sister-in-law Eileen Dougherty, and they traveled together on a Bermuda cruise and our families spent every New Year's Day together.

She was the loving wife of Jim W. Dennis. Janet and Jim enjoyed 57 years of loving and devoted marriage until Jim’s passing in 2011. Both of Catholic faith, they left Dorchester in 1964 to raise a family in the Adams Shore Neighborhood of Quincy. They made so many friends and neighborhood memories. Janet was well known for her passion for preparing delicious homemade Italian dishes, her funny sense of humor, and her sweet, selfless, and caring nature.

Janet is survived by her four children: sons Sean W. Dennis and his wife Lois of Rockland, Jimmy M. Dennis and his wife Michele Goode of Holbrook, daughters Janet Pearson and her husband Robert of Quincy, and Maryann Schuerch and her partner Joseph Fasano, of Quincy. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Haley Dennis, Vianna and Peter Schuerch, Ashley and Olive Goode. Her granddaughter Victoria Schuerch preceded her in death. Janet treasured her time with her grandchildren, who called her Mimi and together they created lasting memories. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. 

Visiting will be on Monday April 13 from 9:00-11:00 A.M. at the Peck Funeral Home 516 Washington St. in Braintree, MA 02184. A Funeral Mass will be held at 12:00 P.M. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church 237 Sea St. in Quincy, MA 02169. Burial will follow at Pine Hill Cemetery 815 Willard St. in Quincy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Salesian Don Bosco Chapel, 150 Byron Street, East Boston, MA 02128.

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