Jeanette Alicia DeBenedictis, née Romano, was born March 4, 1957 to Irene W. Koransky and Albert P. Romano. Irene came to the United States from Germany after WWII, and in Denver, CO she met and married Albert, originally from Rutland, VT. They had five daughters of whom Jeanette was the eldest. As the “big sister” she led her other sisters in games, songs, theatrical productions and a running-away-from-home adventure. Jeanette graduated as valedictorian from Northglenn High School in 1975, and afterwards attended Mills College in Oakland, CA where she majored in English.
Prior to her senior year, Jeanette got a summer job in San Francisco. One day while eating her lunch at St. Mary’s Square Park, she fell into conversation with a young man named Marc DeBenedictis. This chance encounter led to love and marriage upon graduation from Mills.
Jeanette and Marc eventually settled in Lafayette, CA and in 1991 were tremendously delighted to welcome baby Gina to their lives. In 1995 the DeB’s moved up to Washington where Jeanette spent many years working as a Benefits Analyst for Univar USA. Aside from work she served as a Girl Scout Troop leader and was active in the Mills College Alumnae Association. Ill health led to an early retirement, and Jeanette spent the last several years steadfastly dealing with her cancer while continuing to be a generously supportive wife, mother, sister, sister-in-law, and friend.
An early fan of Jack Wild, Star Trek, a lover of Science Fiction and Hollywood musicals, spontaneous and humorous as the voice of “Bair”, she was a clear-headed woman, practical, warm and generous with her attention. Possessed of a quirky, inventive yet very much grounded imagination, she was full of basic insight into human nature. We will miss her bemused chuckle, her open heart, her tolerance and her sturdy good nature.
The road of knowing her and being with her has not ended with the departure of her physical form. We each have a legacy from her; an inheritance that is found in our memories of her and the inspiration she continues to give.
Jeanette was preceeded in death by her parents Irene and Albert Romano. She is survived by her husband Marc DeBenedictis of Bellevue, WA and her daughter Gina DeBenedictis of Lynnwood, WA, as well as godmother Ida Mennen of Denver, CO, sisters Julie Romano of Maple Valley, WA, Joyce Romano of San Francisco, CA, Jacqueline Vignal of Tacoma, WA and Jerrilynn Romano of Dublin, Ireland, and nephews Matthew Vignal of Nashville, TN, Mike Vignal of Boulder, CO and Jonas Arnds of Dublin, Ireland.
She set the example for her younger sisters with her involvement in Girl Scouts, her piano-playing and singing, and her love of reading. She even organized the girls’ books into a library complete with Dewey Decimal numbers.
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