IN MEMORIAM

Janet Cassiday Williams
Chieftain Elspeth McDonnell
Lady Elspeth DiMedici

September 22, 1969 – May 14, 2014

Janet was born September 22, 1969 and passed away on May 14, 2014 after a week long courageous battle with a rampant infection. She served in the US Air Force in her early 20s, and most recently lived in Oakland, CA, since 1998. She married Dirk Williams in 2004. She was employed at Kaiser Permanente and was very involved in her children’s school.

Janet was a long time member of St Andrew’s Noble Order of Royal Scots, joining in about 1995.  To us, she was Cheftain Elpseth Cieleigh McDonnell of the Highland Household, prone to stealing Her Majesty’s cattle.  She was fierce in battle, had a beautiful singing voice, a quick wit, and a huge heart.   Her character later changed to Lady Elspeth DiMedici when “Elspeth” married and was “forced” into noble garb.  An ongoing gig was made of trying to ensure her behavior was truly “courtly”.  She moved on to help form St Cecilia’s Guild (a school for children to be trained in the courtly arts) and later joined Kergan’s Renaissance Re-enactment Guild.  She had many friends throughout the renaissance faire community.  We will miss her creativity, her warm heart, and her opinion (whether you wanted to hear it or not).

She is survived by her husband, Dirk, who often joined her in battle wielding a cast iron skillet, daughters, Eleanor Viola and Elyse Barda Williams all of Oakland, CA; stepchildren, Miles and Bella Williams of Seattle, WA; parents, Arthur “Larry” and Mary Cassiday, grandmother, Gladys Cassiday, brother, Steven (Jamie) Cassiday, and niece, Lauren Cassiday, all of Burt, MI.