Michele Piane

Michele Piane (Lenk), of Keene, New Hampshire, passed away on her 72nd birthday, after bravely battling Parkinson’s and its complications for over a decade. She was born Sept. 11, 1953, in Hanover, New Hampshire, and grew up there before attending Reed College in Oregon. She eventually settled in Hopkinton, where she raised her children in a home filled with happiness, warmth, and love.

Michele was predeceased by her father, John Piane, her mother, Tinette “Yaya” Jenkins, her stepmother, Barbara Sapin, and her sister, Joan Kenosky. She is survived by her beloved husband, Greg Cook, her stepmother, Cristine Piane, her children, Beryl Wagner and husband Rob, Tim Lenk, Russell Cook and Gregory Cook; her cherished grandson, Booker Wagner; niece and nephew, Michelle and Johnny Kenosky; great-niece and great-nephew, Zoe and Ethan; and her first husband, Peter Lenk. She also remained close to Peter’s late wife, Jean Lenk, and their children, Elizabeth and Ian Sangster. Michele was proud of her beautifully blended family and loved each person in it deeply.

More than anything, Michele will be remembered for her fierce kindness. She loved with her whole heart, and her love extended far beyond her immediate family. She was “Mom” to anyone who needed one. She adored friends of Beryl and Tim, she called them her “league of usual suspects” and got a tattoo with those words in a heart on her arm. She loved friends from work and people she simply met and connected with over the years. Her heart held space for everyone.

Her relationships reflected that spirit. Her door was always open, her phone always ringing with a friend, a cousin, a neighbor or her kids. She wanted to stay in touch. Even her first husband, Peter, and his late wife, Jean, were frequent visitors to her and Greg’s home in Florida, or shared time together on Cape Cod. She loved sharing stories of motherhood with Jean.

Michele was anything but ordinary. She went skydiving with her son on her 60th birthday, flew a helicopter just for fun and refused to live a life that could be called boring. A lover of all things hippie, she filled her house with tapestries, cats, incense, bottle-cut candle holders, tinkle lights, bright colors and shoeboxes packed with photos. She spent countless hours making stained-glass art and playing with pictures in Adobe. She was like a sea of rainbow with waves of sandalwood and patchouli.

Celebration of life arrangements are still being finalized, with plans to be held in spring 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you plant some iris flowers, Michele’s favorite, anywhere meaningful to you and think of her when they bloom. Donations in her memory can be made to any organizations supporting Parkinson’s research.

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