DOVER - Jeanne Ann Persinger passed away suddenly, Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 at Kent General Hospital.
Jeanne was born on Mar. 31, 1943 in Hartford, Conn. to the late Matthew Rogalla and Anna Lokot Rogalla. She graduated from Wethersfield High School in 1961. She attended the University of Connecticut, where she was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority, received her Master's Degree in English, and met the love of her life, Jimmy.
She started her career working as an English teacher in Connecticut before moving to Delaware. She taught in Smyrna and then in the Capital School District, where she worked for the majority of her career. She became a guidance counselor at Dover High School in 1980, where she spent the next 22 years making life-long connections with co-workers and students. She provided guidance to countless students over the years, both professionally and personally. To this day, many former students express gratitude for the support and direction Mrs. Persinger provided to them.
Over the years, Jeanne and Jim created a welcoming home where their daughters' friends often chose to congregate. Their house was always filled with love, laughter, and the smell of fresh popcorn. In her retirement, she enjoyed traveling to visit family and friends, lovingly creating scrapbooks for her children and grandchildren, playing cards with friends, meeting former colleagues every Monday for lunch, and spending as much time as possible with her family. She could always be found on the sidelines at her grandkids sporting events. She spent the last few years of her life lovingly caring for her husband. She was also a dedicated member of Holy Cross Catholic Church.
In addition to her parents, Jeanne was preceded in death by her loving husband of 50 years, James Persinger. She is survived by her daughters, Jessica Gascard (Flavien) of Wilmington, Keely Niebrzydowski (Eric) of Dover and Jocelyn Yurkovich (Brad) of Okinawa, Japan; as well as her grandchildren, Lucas Gascard, Will, Ben, and Ava Niebrzydowski, and Anna, Owen, and Eliza Yurkovich.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 631 S. State Street, Dover. Friends may call on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Torbert Funeral Chapel South, 1145 E. Lebanon Road (Rt. 10), Dover. Interment will be in Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Dover, immediately following the funeral service.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to a cause that was near and dear to Jeanne's heart, the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org or send a check to the Alzheimer's Association P.O. Box 96011 Washington, D.C. 20090-6011/800.272.3900.
Letters of condolences may be sent and guestbook signed at www.torbertfuneral.com