Obituary -Janet Faralewski

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

The Grand Western Archery Society regretfully announces the death of their Regional Secretary Janet Faralewski, on Thursday the 30th of December. She peacefully passed away in the company of her son Paul and daughter Nella in Poole General Hospital.

Janet suffered from MS for over 40 years but this did not stop her supporting her son and eventually her husband Eddie on the archery field.

Being bored with just watching she took up the post of event secretary and then club secretary of the Bowmen of Lytchett, and soon got involved at both county and regional level. She converted to the “Dark Side” and became a Judge in the 70’s where her polite considerate nature soon won the respect of the archers.

Janet and Eddie became a formidable team organising competitions for their club and their county. In 1986 she became the Chairman of GWAS, and 1990 saw her in her present post as Secretary to GWAS.

In 1992 Janet and Eddie took over the running of Dunster Archery Week and continued the tradition of providing an event that archers wanted to attend.

In 1991 her MS caused her to use a buggy, JAN 1 donated by the Archers, to continue judging and get around the archery fields, where archers soon learnt to keep their bows behind the waiting line, when Jan 1’s gearbox gave up the ghost archers from across the country clubbed together to buy JAN 2.

On Eddie’s death in 1997, with the full support of her family, she continued with all her archery commitments. In the West Country she was known as the font of all knowledge who was available to be contacted both day and night on anything to do with Archery. Many archers who were visitors to the west also were influence by Janet’s love of the sport and became part of her extended family.

The Dorset and Wiltshire Archery Association, The Grand Western Archery Society, the “Archers of the West” and the “Visitors to the West” have lost an icon of honesty, fair play and organisational skills, and wish to express there sincere condolences to Paul and Gez, and to Nella and Sam, on this sad occasion.

R k de b Nicholson
President Grand Western Archery Society.

Filed under : County News