Jeanine E. Stanek

Jeanine E. Stanek
September 26, 1932 - August 19, 2017
Resident of Sunnyvale
84 of Sunnyvale, died Aug. 19, 2017. Born Sept. 26, 1932 in Washington, D.C., to Bernard and Ruth Eberts, the oldest of two daughters. She attended Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, where she began her lifelong community service habit. She earned a degree in history from the University of Maryland and taught for two years at a Maryland middle school. While teaching, Jeanine returned to the university for a graduate program in Asian Geography (really) and met Mark Stanek, a chemistry Ph.D. student from Minnesota. They were married Aug. 25, 1956.
The family settled in New Jersey, where their first three children, Julie, Mike, and Eileen, were born, and relocated to Irvine, Calif. in 1967. Despite taking care of a growing and very active family, Jeanine was always available to help out at schools, scouting, church activities, League of Women Voters, and more. The Staneks moved to Sunnyvale in 1973, into Jeanine's cherished Eichler home, where she continued her volunteer work while keeping up with the two younger kids, David and Sarah. She worked tirelessly at St. Martin's parish, schools, scouts again, and local arts and leadership programs.
No one aside from possibly Jeanine was surprised when she was named Sunnyvale's Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 2000, selected for the Mayor's Award of Excellence in 2004 and recognized with the Murphy Lifetime Community Contribution Award at the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce's annual Murphy Awards in 2014. While too numerous to list completely, some of her most notable accomplishments were with Leadership Sunnyvale and a companion program for youth, Tomorrow's Leaders Today; and the opening of the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum in 2008.
Sister Judy died in 1996. Husband Mark died in 2000. She is survived by her five children, eight grandchildren, three nieces and extended family around the globe, and an impressive legacy of selfless service to others.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 11:00A.M at LIMA & CAMPAGNA SUNNYVALE MORTUARY, 1315 Hollenbeck Avenue, Sunnnyvale. Reception to follow at the Sunnyvale Heritage Park Museum, 570 E Remington Dr., Sunnyvale.
Any donations in Jeanine's memory may be made to the Sunnyvale Historical Society and Museum Association (heritageparkmuseum.org) or to Sunnyvale Community Services (svcommunityservices.org).


View the online memorial for Jeanine E. Stanek