Wife of Wolves Coach – Janis Foligno Succumbs to Cancer

“The entire Ontario Hockey League family is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Janis Foligno.  Janis’ love and support of her family, community, and the game of hockey will forever be cherished.  Our thoughts and prayers are extended to Michael and family.” David Branch, OHL Commissioner.

Article below by Denis St. Pierre, Sudbury Star, www.thesudburystar.com

Janis Foligno Succumbs to Cancer

Even during her long battle with cancer, Janis Foligno remained a genuinely giving person who invariably sought to help others.

Foligno, 47, who died Monday, leaves a legacy of inspiration to those who were privileged to know her, friends, family and acquaintances say.

"Janis was a wonderful wife, mother, aunt and friend," the Sudbury Wolves hockey club stated Tuesday in a post on the team’s web-site. "She was a great person to know, to talk to and to be with. She was also a great friend of the game of hockey … Janis Foligno will be missed by everyone that knew her."

The wife of Wolves’ coach and general manager Mike Foligno and mother of four, including young hockey stars Nick and

Marcus, she battled cancer for five years.

"She was a very giving person; it was always other people she thought of before herself," Wolves associate coach Bryan Verreault said Tuesday.

"Everybody was always welcome at her home," including young hockey players looking to find their way, Verreault recalled.

"She always welcomed players, past and present, into her home at any time, to talk about hockey or to talk about life," he said.

Foligno’s giving nature included her volunteer work for the Northern Cancer Research Foundation, particularly the annual Luncheon of Hope, which raised money for breast cancer research.

"She was very highly regarded," said Maureen Lacroix, the research foundation’s chairwoman. "She was a beautiful, generous, gentle woman and she and her husband were extremely helpful and supportive of our efforts."

Cathy DiPietro, who worked with Janis on the Luncheon of Hope organizing committee, recalled her colleague’s commitment to the cause even when she was battling the ravages of her disease.

"Sometimes she couldn’t come to our meetings, she couldn’t leave the house, but she was still helping the cause, working from her home, contacting people over the phone," DiPietro said.

"She was a caring and friendly person, a very giving person. She gave everybody the encouragement and the drive to continue. She was always very positive and very supportive of everyone. We are certainly going to miss here and our thoughts and prayers are with Michael and their children and her entire family."

Janis Foligno’s spirit and devotion have been cited by her hockey-playing sons as their greatest inspiration.

"Seeing her every day puts a fire in your belly to go out there and play for her," Marcus Foligno said in an interview last week with the Buffalo News. Marcus was drafted this summer by the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres, the team his father played for during much of his NHL career.

"It’s incredible to see what she does," Marcus said last week. "She gets ticked off because she misses family events due to her sickness. She’s such a battler, such a fighter and wants to be with us every day. And we have to settle her down. She wants to do things 100 miles per hour."

Nick Foligno, a Sudbury Wolves alumnus who plays for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, also credited his mother for his success.

"She was unbelievable, especially at a young age when my father was away playing hockey or coaching," Nick told NHL.comin a previous interview. "She was the one to take me to the rinks, get me up for practice and feed me the meals.

"So it was her that I had to thank for supporting me every day at the rink, cheering me on. As a hockey player, there are highs. But there are also lows that you have to endure and I’m very grateful to have her in my corner."

Janis Foligno was born and raised in Greater Sudbury. She was the niece of legendary NHL goalie Eddie Giacomin, also of Sudbury. In addition to her husband and two sons, she is survived by daughters Cara and Lisa.

A funeral service will be held Friday at 10 a. m. at Our Lady of Hope Church on Brennan Street. Visitation will be held Thursday, from 2 to 9 p. m., at the Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home, 233 Larch St.

Donations to the Janis Foligno Trust Fund are welcome.

For more information please visit www.sudburywolves.com