Janet McLay Holden

She was one of seven children and the only girl with three older and three younger brothers. She had her hands full keeping the peace. She was educated in Bo'ness Academy. Her first jobs were in the public library and local post office.

Her oldest brother Bert immigrated to Australia in 1957 and perhaps inspired by that, she and her three friends from Bo'ness emigrated to Canada in 1960. She settled in Canadian lifestyle in Hamilton, Ontario, where she found employment with Royal Trust and later the Royal Bank of Canada. Through hard work and dedication, she became their first female manager in Canada at that particular location.

Janet met the love of her life, Garth Holden, at a dance hall in Hamilton. They married in 1963 and were blessed with two children, Dianne and Craig. While in Hamilton, she kept in touch with her Scottish roots and organized an annual children's fair festival based on the one held in Bo'ness. This attracted the fellow Scots both locally and from New York.

Her son Craig decided to move to South Africa where his Uncle Don and family was based and Dianne moved to Australia where her Uncle Bert and family had settled.

Upon retirement, Garth and Janet moved to Nova Scotia - first to Clyde River and then to a condo in Dartmouth where she continued to live until her passing. She enjoyed baking and shared her scones, shortbreads, and other treats with friends and neighbors.

In her final years, she suffered two bad falls. She recovered from her first hip fracture and maintained a level of independence. She passed away in Dartmouth General Hospital following the second hip fracture.

Janet was predeceased by her parents Charles and Annie (Cameron) Snedden; her husband Garth; and three brothers Bert, Charlie, and Tom.

She is survived by her children Dianne and Craig; grandchildren Elizabeth, Kelsey, and Garth; brothers Don, John, and Ralph; and her lifelong friend, Iris.

She was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Dartmouth.

A memorial service for Garth and Janet will be held at A.L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland Street, Dartmouth, at 11am, Thursday, June 4, 2026. Rev. Sandy McDonald will be officiating. The service will be live-streamed-

https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=96d85b25-e9d8-4eff-a1fb-d6b962c00345

The family would like to thank her friends and neighbors who supported and cared for her- especially Lesley Waugh, Lynn Day, Scott and Debbie White, and Isabel Langille.

Janet was a good wife, mother, and friend, and she will be missed.