Janet E. Riester

Janet Evans Riester, age 91, of Lynnfield, Massachusetts, passed away on December 10, 2025.

Born in Winchester, Massachusetts, Janet was the daughter of the late Harvey Bolles Evans and Arlene (Woodman) Evans. She grew up in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and often spent her summers at Crow Island on Little Sebago Lake in Gray, Maine.

She graduated from Smith College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. After college, she worked for the Center for International Studies at MIT, where she proofread papers and books written by MIT professors. This experience led to an offer from the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C., where she distributed this research to the CIA and other governmental agencies.

Always dedicated to education, she later received a Masters of Education Degree in Elementary Education from Lesley College and also obtained a Certificate from the Radcliffe Graduate Program in Management. She worked for several years as a Resource Room Teacher at the Summer Street School in Lynnfield.

She married Walter H. Riester, M.D., in 1958, and together they moved to Lynnfield, where they lovingly raised their family. With her husband and family, Janet enjoyed winters skiing in Stowe, Vermont, and summers swimming, boating, and playing golf and tennis at Bald Peak Colony Club on Lake Winnipesaukee, where she was a member for over 50 years. Janet was an accomplished pianist and piano teacher, including teaching many of her grandchildren. She played the piano for her granddaughters' ballet classes for several years, and her favorite pastime was playing piano for family and friends, especially at holidays.

Throughout her life, Janet was committed to volunteerism. She held several volunteer roles with Smith College, including a current role as Class Fund Agent, spending time visiting and calling classmates to raise money for the college. She was also President of the Middlesex East District Medical Society Auxiliary, where she raised money for nursing scholarships and promoted the legislative programs of the American Medical Society. As a Head Girl Scout Leader, Janet taught outdoor skills and was responsible for training other leaders in the town.

Above all, Janet was devoted to her family and friends. She is survived by her sister Faith Evans (of Ipswich, MA); and her four children: Deborah Riester and her husband, George Bargamian (of Wayland, MA); Walter Riester, Jr., and his wife, Barbara (of Lynnfield, MA); David Riester and his wife, Marylee (of Lynnfield, MA); and Katherine Riester and her husband, Miguel Caldera (of Lexington, MA). She is also survived by her nine grandchildren: Sarah and Jessica Bargamian; Scott, Carleton, and Jennifer Riester; Ben, Henry, and Elizabeth Riester; and Meghan Caldera; in addition to many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister Carolyn Albrecht and her husband, Walter H. Riester, M.D.

Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield, MA on Thursday, December 18, from 4 - 7 p.m. A Memorial Service will be held at Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer St., Lynnfield, MA  on Friday, December 19th, 2025 at 11:30am. Following the service, a reception will be held at 10 Durham Drive, Lynnfield, MA.

Interment will be private at Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Smith College (33 Elm Street, Northampton, MA 01063) or Huggins Hospital (240 South Main Street, Wolfeboro, NH 03894).