Jean Ruth Trapido-Rosenthal

dance to the death with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).

Jean Trapido was born in Honolulu to Dr. Joel and Mrs. Evelyn Trapido, and grew up in

Mānoa Valley. She attended Mānoa Elementary, Mānoa Japanese Language School,

Temple Emanu-El Hebrew School, Stevenson Middle School, and Roosevelt High

School. She emerged from these institutions fluent in Standard English and Schoolyard

Pidgin. She then went to Pomona College, spent a semester and a summer in France,

where she mastered French, and then graduated with a degree in Art History. Returning

to Hawaii after graduation, she met her future husband, Hank Rosenthal, who had

recently embarked on a PhD program in biochemistry and biophysics at UH Mānoa.

Jean was initially more impressed with Hank’s cat than with Hank. The cat knew that

this girl was important, and helped with the wooing – a Puss-in-boots story in zoris. The

wooing worked; Jean and Hank married and became the Trapido-Rosenthals in 1977.

They relocated to UC Santa Barbara, where Jean attained an M.A. in Art History, and

Hank completed his Ph.D. in Biology. Hank’s marine science orientation took them to

marine labs, first in St. Augustine, Florida, and then in St. George’s, Bermuda. In each

place, Jean became active in the local arts community. In St. Augustine, Jean served as

librarian and educator for the St. Augustine Historical Society. In Bermuda, Jean served

as registrar and curator at the Bermuda National Gallery.

Upon returning to her Mānoa home in 2005, Jean became active in a number of valley

activities, as well as with Honolulu arts and religious organizations. Within her beloved

Mānoa Valley, she was active with Malama Mānoa (as a Board member and Advisor),

Mānoa Heritage Center (as a docent), and Mānoa Valley Theatre (as a Board member).

In the arts world, she served for several years as the President of the Jean Charlot

Foundation. Her most loved job was that of docent at Doris Dukeʻs Shangri La Museum

of Islamic Art, Culture and Design. Jean was also active in the local Jewish community

through Temple Emanu-El and as a founding member of the Oʻahu Jewish ‘Ohana

(OJO) She was also important in organizing the participation of members of OJO,

Temple Emanu-El, and Sof Ma'arav in Family Promise, a program designed to get

homeless families into permanent housing.

All of these activities wound down as PSP degraded Jean’s physical and cognitive

abilities. She spent the last few years of her life at home, being taken care of by her

husband, by several innately loving and well-trained caregivers from the local Pacific

Islander community, and by the medical and support staff of Bristol Hospice.

Jean is survived by her husband Dr. Hank Trapido-Rosenthal, sister Barbara Trapido-

Lurie, and brother-in-law Roger Lurie. She will be remembered by many others for her

gentle character, social conscience and community contributions.

Her ashes will be placed in Abraham’s Garden, Hawaiian Memorial Park. A celebration

of Jean’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to the

Mānoa Valley Theatre, https://www.manoavalleytheatre.com/donate.