Jeanette Rosenthal King, 60, of Marion passed away peacefully on April 10, 2023 at home surrounded by family and loved ones.
Born in Long Beach, CA on June 16, 1962, Jeanette was the eldest of nine children of Judith and Henry Rosenthal and graduated in 1980 from La Serna HS.
Driven to help the vulnerable, Jeanette studied biology at UC-Irvine where she met her husband, Dave, in 1984. Upon graduating in 1986, Jeanette moved with Dave to Fort Collins, CO, where she earned her BS in Nursing at the University of Northern Colorado in 1989. Jeanette accepted a position as a labor and delivery nurse at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, which granted her the special opportunity to be closer to Dave's family. In 1989, she and Dave married and in 1992 welcomed their son, Jonathan.
Determined to make a greater impact on patients, Jeanette joined the inaugural midwifery program at the University of Rochester, and graduated with an MS in Nursing in 1996. Jeanette then began practicing midwifery at St. Joseph's Hospital in Towson, MD, where they happily resided for ten years, and welcomed two more children: Isabella in 1998 and Nathaniel in 2001.
Sadly, in 2003, Jeanette was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. With the support of thousands, deep faith, exceptional care at Johns Hopkins, and a strong desire to raise her children into adulthood, Jeanette beat that cancer in 2007.
Empowered by this victory, Jeanette accepted an exciting opportunity to practice midwifery at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, MA and moved with her family to Marion, MA in 2007, where she happily resided until her death. During these years, Jeanette delivered thousands of babies at St. Vincent's Hospital, Falmouth Hospital, Cape Cod Hospital, and Martha's Vineyard Hospital, and taught medical students at UMass. Her specialty was employing methods she'd developed to release anxiety and overcome cancer with other cancer patients and women in labor, with phenomenal results.
A devoted mother, Jeanette loved attending her children's sporting events, concerts, and academic competitions in the Towson and Old Rochester school systems. An All-State Junior Olympic swimmer, she especially enjoyed relaxing by the sea with loved ones at Silvershell Beach, the Thousand Islands, Martha's Vineyard, and her beloved Pacific Ocean.
Jeanette's most important journey was growing ever closer to God. She was active at First & St. Stephen's Church in Towson and South Coast Community Church in Fairhaven and put all her energies into enthusiastically loving others.
Jeanette's faith, strength, and ability to love sustained her when she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in October 2020. As always, Jeanette wildly exceeded expectations and joyfully spent her final years hiking along Buzzard's Bay, inspiring others, and enjoying good times with loved ones. She loved to smile and laugh. Whether dancing wildly to the B-52's or walking into a dinner party with a colander on her head, Jeanette brought light into every room she entered. She will be deeply missed.
Jeanette is survived by her loving husband Dave; sons Jonathan and Nathaniel; daughter Isabella; mother Judy Loconte; siblings Shelly, Michael, David, Cynthia, Eric, Leah, Brandon, and Lindy; and dozens of nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be Friday, April 21st from 4-8 pm at Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6), Mattapoisett. Her Funeral Service will be Saturday, April 22nd at 12 pm in the funeral home. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
In lieu of flowers, Jeanette's family kindly requests that donations be made in her name to The Cape Wellness Collaborative. For information on how to donate, please visit www.capewellness.org.