Jacob C. Rosenthal

Jacob "Jay" Charles Rosenthal, 83, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at The Glen in Willow Valley Communities, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He joined his beloved wife and daughter, Maxine (Macktez) Rosenthal and Fae Elise Rosenthal, who both preceded him in death in 2023.

Jay was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of the late Dr. Ellis and Sarah (Kelman) Rosenthal. He spent his youth in Cranston and Narragansett. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 1957 in Cranston's Troop 5 and spent several summers as a counselor and assistant director at the Camp Yawgoog Scout Reservation.

Jay matriculated to the Brown University class of 1964, then transferred to and graduated from Babson College. While there he was a member of Blue Key Honor Society, Delta Sigma Pi, and President of the Theater Club. He played the organ in the college band The Ascots and later the washboard in the Red Lion Jazz Band.

After graduation, he obtained a master's degree at the University of Rhode Island. He and Max married and settled in Wilmington, Delaware, where they embarked on successful careers at Dupont. Before he retired from Dupont in 1991, Jay held positions in IT, Finance and Executive Compensation.

After retirement, Jay devoted himself to supporting performing and visual arts. He studied jazz piano intensively, became an oldies DJ, and served on boards of the Delaware State Arts Council, Grand Opera House, Wilmington Music School, and Delaware Theater Company and was President of the First Stage Theater and City Company. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of local visual artists and held positions from board member to docent at the Delaware Art Museum and Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts. In his spare time he loved to travel, cycle, read, and keep up with many beloved friends in multiple places: in the years before moving to Lancaster, he and Max split their time among Rhode Island, Delaware, and Arizona.

Jay is survived by his brother Mark Rosenthal (partner Cathy Fraser) of Arroyo Grande, California; nephew Noah Macktez Landow (wife CJ Brody) of New York City; and niece Shoshana Macktez Landow (husband Ethan Stein) and sons, Philip and Malcolm of Barrington, Rhode Island.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Jay at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Docent Fund at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Delaware.