April 29, 1934 – July 22, 2021
Jeanette Mary Atkinson, age 87, of Paso Robles, passed away on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Vineyard Hills Health Center. Though they deeply grieve her passing, her family is comforted, knowing she now enjoys the glories to come.
Jeanette Jokilehto was born April 29, 1934, in Ashtabula, Ohio to Wilho Jokiletho and Philomena (Caruso) Jokilehto, the eldest of four children. The family moved to Cleveland where she excelled in academics, performing arts, and was captain of the cheerleading squad at Brooklyn High School. There she met the love of her life, Robert Atkinson, Sr. They were wed July 6, 1953, and enjoyed 68 years of “love and marriage,” as the Frank Sinatra song goes. Sinatra’s music, along with that of jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and Errol Garner, were life-long passions of Robert and Jeanette, who enjoyed attending many concerts of legendary artists when visiting Las Vegas on business trips together.
Robert Atkinson, Jr. was born to Bob and “Jay,” as she was often known, in 1954, followed by their daughter, Susan, who was born in 1958. The family lived in a succession of homes back and forth over many years between Ohio and California before the couple settled in Paso Robles, California in 1989. While living in La Canada-Flintridge, CA, Jeanette worked as Medical Staff Coordinator at Verdugo Hills Hospital. Though not formally trained, she became quite proficient in medical nomenclature as she took minutes for medical staff and pathology meetings and served as a highly valued support staff member of the medical team, later leading the office staff of surgeon, Dr. Ignacio Acosta.
Jeanette loved beautiful, old, finely crafted items of jewelry, pottery, artwork, and furniture. She pursued this passion as a well-studied antique dealer in Paso Robles, selling treasures to the public at Great American Antiques as well as online.
Jeanette’s family grew to include son-in-law, Clifford Olson, who married Susan, and daughter-in-law, Kathleen (Murphy) Atkinson, who wed Robert, Jr. Grandchildren Nathan (1992) and Katherine (1996) were born to Clifford and Susan and are the pride of their grandparents’ lives. Kathleen, who shared a special relationship with her mother-in-law, sadly preceded her in death.
Jeanette is survived by her husband, Robert Atkinson, Sr., of Paso Robles; son Robert Atkinson, Jr., of Paso Robles; daughter, Susan Olson and son-in-law, Clifford Olson, of Gastonia, NC; grandson, Nathan Olson, of Winston-Salem, NC; and grand-daughter, Katherine Olson, of New York, NY. She is also survived by her siblings, Delores St. Lawrence, of Ashland, OH; Shirley Tische, of Norwalk, OH; and William Jokilehto, of Cleveland, OH.
A family grave-side burial service will take place at Paso Robles District Cemetery on August 5, 2021, at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her memory to St. Jude’s Hospital.
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