Janine Soleil

1945 - 2020

JANINE SOLEIL (1945-2020) Janine Soleil passed from this life on May 14, 2020a week after her 75th birthdayat a hospice facility in Long Island, New York, after contracting the novel coronavirus. A longtime resident of the Chico area, Janine had recently moved to New York to be closer to her son. A cherished mother, grandmother, and dear friend, her career as a marriage and family therapist and counselor oriented her full and adventurous life around care and helping others. She changed her name to Soleil to "make people happy." Janine was born Jane Beth Beiderman on May 7, 1945, at Midwood Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, to Rita (Young) and David "Don" Beiderman. The family lived in Flatbush, Brooklyn, until she was 4, when they moved West to the suburb of Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley. Janine attended Canoga Park Elementary and High Schools, and excelled in English, ballet and modern dance. She changed her name to Janine before moving to Chico to attend Chico State College in 1963 at the age of 17. She participated in the Juilliard Summer Dance program in New York City, eventually transferring to UCLA to continue her dance studies. Following the counter-cultural spirit of the 60s, Janine dropped out, became a hippie and participated in the "Summer of Love," living for a spell in the Haight Ashbury and in intentional communities in Northern California. Upon returning to Los Angeles in the late 60s, Janine completed a degree at UCLA, and worked as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, while volunteering at the LA Women's Center to advocate for women's equality. In 1979, Janine married Donald Gauthier and gave birth to their son, Dylan, at home. While working as a legal secretary and stenographer in the 80s, Janine completed a Master's in Family and Child Therapy (MFCT) at Cal State Northridge. She spent a decade in private practice in West Los Angeles, before moving to Northern California in 1994 to take a job as a Counselor at Glenn County Mental Healthand to pursue her lifelong dream of living in the country. Janine would work for Glenn County for 14 years, "retiring" in 2007. She soon moved up to the mountains of Quincy to be closer to the love of her life, Geoffrey Quinsey. She continued her private practice work in Quincy and then in Chico until her move East. Janine was active in the peace and justice community in Chico, loved contra dancing, walking with friends in Bidwell Park, and yoga. She attended the Center for Spiritual Living and Congregation Beth Israel Chico. She is survived by her son Dylan Gauthier, daughter-in-law Kendra Sullivan Gauthier, and grandson Demitri Arthur Gauthier of Brooklyn; dear friends Lena Ostroff of Los Angeles, Geoffrey Quinsey of Chico, and Maxyne Strunin of Santa Barbara; brother Barry Beiderman, sister-in-law Nicki, niece Sarah Beiderman of Portland; Beiderman cousins in New York; Young cousins in Colorado; Boosey cousins in Norfolk, UK; and her Bichon Fris‚, Gracie. Her light, spirit, love, and energy will be missed. Janine requested a party with lots of dancing, to be held when we can safely gather. Donations in Janine's honor can be made to the Torres Community Shelter.