Jeannette Sylvia Petit Whitten, 95, passed away on July 11, 2024.
She was born on Jan. 16, 1929, in Biddeford, Maine, to Myra and Wilfred Petit. Jeannette attended schools in Saco, Maine.
In 1944, the family moved to Long Beach, California, where Jeannette attended Long Beach Poly High School. After World War II, they returned to Saco, where she married and had four children.
Jeannette had a variety of occupations throughout her lifetime. She worked in retail for several years before studying to become a ward clerk at Maine Medical. Later, she moved back to California to care for her father at the end of his life, staying there for 20 years. During this time, she worked at Alhambra Hospital and eventually became a dispensing optician, from which she retired. Jeannette also volunteered as an usher at the City Theater and as a driver for the residents at Wardwell Home.
Known for her kindness and positive attitude, Jeannette always saw the bright side of any situation. She enjoyed skating, traveling, decorating, and participating in Red Hat get-togethers. She resided at Wardwell Home, eventually moving to its assisted living facility, where she cherished her living quarters and the staff, who treated her with the utmost care and respect until her last breath. Affinity also provided her with exceptional care and respect in collaboration with Wardwell.
Jeannette was preceded in death by: her daughter, Bonnie Lee Scheile; four brothers, John, Robert, Bill, and; Jay; two sisters, Olive and Louise; the father of her children, Roger Whitten; and a longtime, friend Tom Ruatta.
She is survived by: her son, James Whitten and his wife Joan of Saco; daughter, Donna Michaud and her husband Norman; daughter, Marilyn Sarty of Florida; grandchildren, Nicole Stone, Amy Michaud, Aaron Scheile and Craig Scheile, and Jennifer Liddick; six great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Mary Neault.
Visitation will be on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Hope Memorial Chapel, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005. Burial will be private.
Arrangements are by Hope Memorial Chapel Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 480 Elm St., Biddeford, ME 04005.
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