Libby Kannard died unexpectedly on September 17 after a very brief illness. She was 36 years old. 

She is survived by her daughter Flora Kannard Janesh, her partner Carolyn Rodriguez, her former partner Bee Janesh, her parents Mindy and Michael Kannard, her sister Jennah Kannard, and many other friends and family. 

Libby was many things to many people:  a daughter, a big sister, a mother, a partner, a friend, a coworker, a teacher—but most of all she was uniquely herself. Her interests were varied, and often spontaneous. You might have known her as a baker, a knitter, a reader, a music fan, a gamer, or a gardener. More recently her favorite way to spend time was with Flora and Carolyn, doing anything and everything. 

Libby graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 2007, Case Western Reserve University in 2011 with a BA in English and a minor in Film Studies, and from Columbia Teacher’s College in New York in 2013 with an MA in English Education. She worked as a lifeguard at Thornton Park Pool in Shaker Heights and as an English teacher at Owen Valley High School in Spencer, IN. Most recently she spent 10 years at College Now Greater Cleveland as a tutor, advisor, and scholarships and financial aid manager. 

The best way to describe Libby is that she was loud, unapologetic, cared deeply about everything she did, and never wanted people to make themselves smaller for others. Her laugh was big, joyful, and infectious. When she smiled, her whole face lit up and her nose wrinkled. Her presence filled the room with warmth. When she loved you, you knew. When she disagreed with you, you knew. If she made a mistake, she needed to be convinced it was okay; after all, she cared deeply. She wanted more than anything for the world to be a better place for Flora. Flora was her light in everything, especially in the darkness that is today. 

If you’d like to make a donation in her memory or attend a celebration of her life held in Cleveland, more information will be available on this page at a later date. To be notified of this information, you can leave your name and email, as well as a memory of Libby, using this Google Form.