Janice W. Scott, 70, of Naugatuck, CT, beloved wife of Michael L. Scott, passed away peacefully at home on April 25, 2026. She was born on July 10, 1955 in Albany, NY to the late Earl and F. Shirley Waugh.

Janice spent her life in the pursuit of education; both her own and for the bright young minds around her. She began by earning her Bachelor of Science in Health Education from SUNY Geneseo and Russell Sage College in Troy, NY. She furthered her educational goals by earning a Masters of Science as a Library Media Specialist from Southeastern University.

Janice’s devotion to teaching began as a Health Educator for the Volusia County Health Department in Daytona Beach, FL by holding classes for both children and adults in the county. Her hard work and dedication earned her a full-time teaching position in neighboring Flagler County, to eventually taking a role as Coordinator of Educational Programs at the Volusia County School Board until 1998.

Changes in job opportunities saw the family move north to Connecticut where she was able to parlay her new Master’s Degree into Library Media positions at Platt Tech in Milford, CT and then on to Stratford High and Flood Middle Schools in Stratford, CT. She took great joy in working with both teachers and students alike, providing pertinent media or computer enrichment to daily lessons until her retirement in June of 2018.

Janice was a staunch supporter of the New York Mets, from the beginning of the franchise through all the good years, and the (regrettably numerous) bad ones. She loved every cat who claimed her for their very own with all her heart, and even those few that snubbed a chance to snuggle up in her nice, warm lap. She enjoyed wine tasting tours, watching hot air balloons, exploring lighthouses protecting their shorelines, and relaxing beside waterfalls listening to nature’s music as the water tumbled over the rocks below.

She cherished her time with her best friend and former college roommate, Paula Krom; scrapbooking, card making and vacationing together as families going wherever there were interesting places to see and things to learn. Any nice stream encountered along the road needed a visit so she could walk down a small path to dip her toes in the cool running water.

She was passionate about her life and family, enthusiastic about her job and being encouraging to her students bringing the supportive and positive attitude needed to help them learn and grow to the best of their abilities.

In addition to her husband, Michael, she leaves behind her son, Jason Scott; brothers, John Waugh (Joan), Charles Waugh, and Rick Waugh (Kim); as well as step-sisters, Kristy Reynolds (Mark) and Alison Pine (George); along with step-brother, Scott Sinclair and God-daughter, Carinne Taylor. Along with her parents Earl and Shirley, she was predeceased by her stepfather William Sinclair and niece Melissa Waugh.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Friday, May 8th, 2026 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Buckmiller Ford Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Avenue, Naugatuck, CT. A Sharing of Memories will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, we would like anyone, who has the ability, to help support our veterans and first responders by making a memorial contribution of an amount of your choosing in Janice’s name to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.