Janet Garnsey Hall
November 6, 1917 — September 16, 2014
Janet Garnsey Hall, 96, passed away quietly in her home in Ocean Ridge, with her dedicated caretaker, Calley Cofield by her side.
Janet, born November 6, 1917, moved to Miami as a small child with her parents, Irene and Frank Fitzgerald Bush where she witnessed her father and aviator Glenn Curtis develop the town of Opa-Locka. She graduated high school as valedictorian at the young age of 16. She worked as an ocean diver for Burry’s Shell Museum, in Ft. Lauderdale, free diving for shells for which tourist would pay tips. Janet was the first woman to be accepted to the Syracuse University School of Engineering. She married Dan Garnsey, Sr. of the 1000 Islands, NY, and together they developed drift-fishing and the Helen-S fleet out of Pompano Beach, FL, which is still owned and operated by her granddaughter and her husband. In 1956 Janet and her second husband, Capt. Wendall Hall, moved their blended family of 7 children and Janet’s orphaned nephew to Boynton Beach, to start the Sea Mist Fishing Fleet out of Boynton Inlet. A few years later, they purchased the Boynton Marina and moved their boat and the Boynton Fishing Fleet of charter boats to the center of Boynton. The Sea Mist Marina fishing fleet grew, as did the business, with the purchase of Kenny Lyman’s marina. They became the first full service marina in the area with storage, boat sales, repairs, tackle and fuel dock. The Sea Mist Marina and the fishing fleet, which still operates today, helped put Boynton Beach on the map as a prime tourist destination.
Janet was active in her church, the Soroptimist Club and the Boynton Chamber of Commerce until long after she and Wendall retired in 1983. The marina was eventually sold to the City of Boynton; however, the drift boat is still owned and operated by her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Janet and Wendall spent many wonderful years traveling the country prior to Wendall's passing in 1994. Their summers were enjoyed in their home in upstate NY on the St. Lawrence River, in the1000 Islands, a practice which Janet continued until this year. Her children still have homes and spend the summer there with their children and grandchildren.
She and Wendall helped found the First Church of Christian Science in Boynton Beach in the 1950's, and her deep faith allowed her to live a healthy life free of conventional medicine, for nearly 97 years.
Janet had a brilliant mind and never tired of learning. It is reported that she was the first, female licensed ocean operator in Florida and, we think possibly, the US. Her first captain’s license was granted in 1940. She kept up with the latest technology well into her 90’s. She bought and used one of the first personal computers, a TRS-80, in her small marina business, before it was commonplace and taught her children to use it as well. She played scrabble games and crossword puzzles daily, and still read her emails on her iPad at the time of her passing.
Janet and Wendall’s oldest son, Capt. Dan Garnsey Jr., passed 3 years ago. However, she is yet survived by their 6 remaining children, Capt. Tom Hall, Pompano Beach, Capt Bark Garnsey, New Mexico and FL, Wendy Hall Bensol, NY, Nancy Hall Garnsey, Ocean Ridge, John Hall, TN, and Judith Garnsey Andrews, Ocean Ridge and NC, 15 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, most of whom still live in the area.
Janet Hall was an amazing businesswoman, mother and role model. She leaves an uncommon legacy to the City of Boynton Beach and her family. She will be missed greatly and remembered fondly for all that she taught us. Every child and grandchild thinks of their lost loved-one as someone special, but, in this case, it is so true. Janet had many interesting facets in her life, but one of the most admirable was to take on other peoples’ children due to sad circumstances of life and make them her own through love. Blood was trumped by love, and all of her children grew to love her as Mom. None of our family considered any of us as “step-siblings’. Just one happily united family.
The family will have a Celebration of Life for Capt. Janet Hall in mid November, with her ashes being given to the sea that she loved so much.
Janet, born November 6, 1917, moved to Miami as a small child with her parents, Irene and Frank Fitzgerald Bush where she witnessed her father and aviator Glenn Curtis develop the town of Opa-Locka. She graduated high school as valedictorian at the young age of 16. She worked as an ocean diver for Burry’s Shell Museum, in Ft. Lauderdale, free diving for shells for which tourist would pay tips. Janet was the first woman to be accepted to the Syracuse University School of Engineering. She married Dan Garnsey, Sr. of the 1000 Islands, NY, and together they developed drift-fishing and the Helen-S fleet out of Pompano Beach, FL, which is still owned and operated by her granddaughter and her husband. In 1956 Janet and her second husband, Capt. Wendall Hall, moved their blended family of 7 children and Janet’s orphaned nephew to Boynton Beach, to start the Sea Mist Fishing Fleet out of Boynton Inlet. A few years later, they purchased the Boynton Marina and moved their boat and the Boynton Fishing Fleet of charter boats to the center of Boynton. The Sea Mist Marina fishing fleet grew, as did the business, with the purchase of Kenny Lyman’s marina. They became the first full service marina in the area with storage, boat sales, repairs, tackle and fuel dock. The Sea Mist Marina and the fishing fleet, which still operates today, helped put Boynton Beach on the map as a prime tourist destination.
Janet was active in her church, the Soroptimist Club and the Boynton Chamber of Commerce until long after she and Wendall retired in 1983. The marina was eventually sold to the City of Boynton; however, the drift boat is still owned and operated by her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Janet and Wendall spent many wonderful years traveling the country prior to Wendall's passing in 1994. Their summers were enjoyed in their home in upstate NY on the St. Lawrence River, in the1000 Islands, a practice which Janet continued until this year. Her children still have homes and spend the summer there with their children and grandchildren.
She and Wendall helped found the First Church of Christian Science in Boynton Beach in the 1950's, and her deep faith allowed her to live a healthy life free of conventional medicine, for nearly 97 years.
Janet had a brilliant mind and never tired of learning. It is reported that she was the first, female licensed ocean operator in Florida and, we think possibly, the US. Her first captain’s license was granted in 1940. She kept up with the latest technology well into her 90’s. She bought and used one of the first personal computers, a TRS-80, in her small marina business, before it was commonplace and taught her children to use it as well. She played scrabble games and crossword puzzles daily, and still read her emails on her iPad at the time of her passing.
Janet and Wendall’s oldest son, Capt. Dan Garnsey Jr., passed 3 years ago. However, she is yet survived by their 6 remaining children, Capt. Tom Hall, Pompano Beach, Capt Bark Garnsey, New Mexico and FL, Wendy Hall Bensol, NY, Nancy Hall Garnsey, Ocean Ridge, John Hall, TN, and Judith Garnsey Andrews, Ocean Ridge and NC, 15 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, most of whom still live in the area.
Janet Hall was an amazing businesswoman, mother and role model. She leaves an uncommon legacy to the City of Boynton Beach and her family. She will be missed greatly and remembered fondly for all that she taught us. Every child and grandchild thinks of their lost loved-one as someone special, but, in this case, it is so true. Janet had many interesting facets in her life, but one of the most admirable was to take on other peoples’ children due to sad circumstances of life and make them her own through love. Blood was trumped by love, and all of her children grew to love her as Mom. None of our family considered any of us as “step-siblings’. Just one happily united family.
The family will have a Celebration of Life for Capt. Janet Hall in mid November, with her ashes being given to the sea that she loved so much.
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