JESSIE ROSENBERG SCHELL

1941 - 2023

SCHELL, Jessie Rosenberg Age 81, died Saturday, September 23rd, 2023, in Asheville, NC. She was preceded in death by her mother Jane Baker Rosenberg, father Marvin Rosenberg; and brother Marvin Rosenberg, Jr. She is survived by her husband, David Schell; daughter Susanna Schell Cerrato; granddaughter Isabel Jane Cerrato; and her sister Anne Eich. Always a daughter of the deep south, Jessie was born November 1, 1941 in Greenville, MS. She received her B. A. in 1963 and an M.F.A in writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1971. Jessie was an award-winning novelist, short story writer, and poet. Jessie published her acclaimed novel, Sudina, in 1965. She twice appeared in the O'Henry Prize Collection (1975 and 1978, respectively), her short stories and poems also appearing in literary publications including The Atlantic Monthly, The Greensboro Review, Carolina Quarterly, The Virginia Quarterly, Southern Poetry Review, and The Georgia Review. Jessie published 24 short stories in McCall's magazine. Jessie also spent most of her life as an educator, influencing the lives of all whom she taught. Jessie served as a instructor at UNC Greensboro, Xavier University in New Orleans, and UNC Chapel Hill, where she and her husband David each served as instructors for 6 years. After spending time living in Israel, David and Jessie moved to Thessaloniki, Greece, where they both taught at Anatolia College. Their daughter, Susanna, was born there in 1980. After moving back to the U.S. and settling in the Greater Boston Area, Jessie served as adjunct faculty at Northeastern University, Hanscom Airforce Base, as well as Brandeis University. In 1990, Jessie joined the faculty of Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, as founder and head of their Creative Writing department and as a senior English teacher and taught there for 13 years before retiring in 2003. Jessie was a passionate, forthright advocate for her students, and someone known to positively encourage all with her listening ear and honest heart. She will be missed so much by her family, friends, and former students. A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, November 4th at 11a.m. at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Natick, MA. The family asks, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to The Jimmy Fund.

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