Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Mount Auburn as a Natural Habitat | Page 10

Janet Heywood, Vice President of Interpretive Programs (far right),
retiring after 16 years of extraordinary dedication, intellectual
contribution and loving service to Mount Auburn
The
Indefatigable,
Indispensable
JANET
PHOTO BY JAMES HOLLAND, STAFF
by Ste ph e n H . A nable,
F r e e l a n c e w r i t e r a n d c o m mu n i c a t i o n s g e n e ra l i s t
w i t h a l i f e l o n g i n t e r e s t i n h i s t o r i c p r e s e r va t i o n
“H
ave you spent much time in cemeteries?” she
asks, a defining question for her, and, after you
answer, she guides you through the corridor
beneath the Story Chapel, pointing out the poured con-
crete ceiling as cutting-edge construction for the Victori-
ans of that time. Vice President of Interpretive Programs
Janet Heywood’s knowledge and enthusiasm about all
things Mount Auburn strikes you the moment you meet
her. Settling into her office—piled high with papers and
books on history, with a Christmas cactus with hot-pink
blossoms thriving in one window and a Mount Auburn
screen saver on her laptop—Janet, in a brown tweed coat,
Celtic-inspired pin, and green corduroy pants, can’t wait
to talk business—which is also pure pleasure for her.
Retiring this spring after more than 25 years of in-
volvement with the Cemetery, Janet became an employee
on Halloween of 1989, working part-time on programs
and membership. Mount Auburn Cemetery President
Bill Clendaniel praises Janet’s extraordinary capacity for
work and sharp intellect. “She is literally here seven days a
week,” he says. “She seems indefatigable. There are rarely
nights when I’ve stayed well beyond closing that she isn’t
here when I leave. I’m sure no one on earth knows more
about the history of Mount Auburn at this point, as well
as knowing what’s happening here contemporaneously.
Janet also thinks across all departments, across the whole
organization. She really has the big picture in mind. She is
a truly strategic thinker, and that’s rare.”
8 | Sweet Auburn
Bill cites Janet’s work on obtaining funds from the Na-
tional Endowment for the Humanities for the soon-to-come
Mount Auburn visitors interpretive center in Story Chapel,
one of the legacy programs for Mount Auburn’s 175th Anni-
versary Campaign, as a key contribution. “She really deserves
the credit for thinking up the intellectual content for both
the planning and implementation grant. She worked with our
grants writer to win this very competitive grant, the first of its
kind for us.”
Vice President of Operations and Horticulture David Bar-
nett credits Janet with an intuitive ability to balance inviting
the public in to appreciate Mount Auburn’s history, art, and
nature while always remaining respectful of the Cemetery’s
character as a sacred space.
Janet created the Cemetery’s three audio tours and oversees
the more than 70 members and public programs sponsored
here each year. She helped create an annual Arbor Day week-
end in late April that includes a tree planting. She developed
the Women’s Walk each March to celebrate Women’s History
Month and a Mothers’ Walk each May to view monuments
adorned with symbols of maternity. “Janet pulls information
together—things no one else could probably uncover—and
puts them into her tours,” says Public Programs Director Bree
Detamore Harvey. “She has a devoted fo