Jessie Marie Fenk

Jessie Marie Fenk, 88, of Alameda, California, passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025. A devoted wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and friend, Jessie will forever be remembered for her caring nature, her loyalty to those she loved, and the honest warmth she shared with everyone who knew her. Born on August 26, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jessie was the beloved daughter of Paul R. and Jessie M. Pottgeiser. She grew up with a deep sense of family and responsibility, traits she carried throughout her life. Jessie graduated from St. George High School Class of 1955, where she was known for her hardworking spirit and steadfast optimism-qualities that would continue to define her through every chapter of her life. After high school, Jessie pursued a career as an admin assistant to the Vice President of Matthews Engraving. Jessie told me stories of seeing the Pittsburgh Pirate Baseball Players walking to Forbes Field on her break or lunch if game day. Oh, and the stories about walking home from Oakland to Southside in the snow across the bridge, up the hill, etc. Jessie married the love of her life, Norman Fenk, with whom she shared a wonderful marriage built on mutual respect, love, laughter and hard work. Sons Norman Jr and Paul were born in 1961 and 1962. In 1963 Norm and Jessie loaded up the 1956 Ford Crown Victoria with Norman, Paul and their belongings and moved across country to Alameda, California to join Jessies' mother who moved to Alameda in 1960. Matt was born in 1969. Family remained Jessie's greatest source of pride and joy. Norm and Jessie sacrificed greatly for their kids including sending their children to private school - St. Joseph's Grammar School. Grand Parents lived 6 blocks away. Gram and Pap were the ones in the front row at church, couldn't wait for Sunday, did the 5:15pm Saturday mass. Gram watched us when needed. Mom and Gram each bought a Schwinn 3-Wheeler with the basket in back and would ride back and forth to each other's house. Mom and Gram did each other's hair every week (found out what a permanent was). Gram and Jessie could cook anything on a moment's notice. Pastries, Pies, Cakes. She would make us whatever we wanted (I wanted Cherry Pie, Paul Lemon Merengue). Getting up in the morning hearing Jessie building School lunches, hearing the wax paper being torn off to wrap our two sandwiches, fruit, desert (usually cake). Every day when we came home, she would give the thermos a shake to see if we broke another one… Taking AC transit Dahn Than to Kaiser or other errands. The problems in second grade thinking WASH were spelled wrong should be Worsh? Red up your room, close the winda. What are you going somewhere? Where zinz going? I called her Sis like her mom would… 1971 the Fenks move from 1149 Park Avenue to 2059 Eagle Avenue. For us kids it was a move from Krusi Park to McKinley Park with the Alameda Boy's Club 4 blocks away not to mention Thompson Field 2 blocks away. She never once complained when we came home covered from head to toe in mud from neighborhood football games in the rain at Thompson. She would just holler down to us to take our clothes off in the basement not to come upstairs like that…All the laundry she did for a house of 4 men, no wonder she was so strong, baskets of clothes from upstairs all the way to the basement and back up again… The annual vacation to Clearlake staying in cottages and fooling around and fishing for a week was the greatest time a kid could have. The Kaiser picnics. Pittsburgh trips. Jessie worked for a time in the Home Care industry taking care of a guy named Al (wish I could remember his last name) on Santa Clara. They always demanded Jessie be the one to help them…Jessie worked as a dental assistant for general dentists but really loved working for the oral surgeons. The doctors loved that she wasn't afraid of the messy tooth pulling, Blood etc.… Jessie loved her TV mystery shows, or a good Perry Mason episode. She loved sporting events, she also loved to travel, and she and Big Norm enjoyed many wonderful adventures over the years with friends Ken and Joy and Glen and Margie-especially cruises that allowed them to see new places. Friends and family alike describe her as courageous in the face of life's challenges, steadfastly reliable, and always willing to lend a helping hand. Jessie's genuine spirit touched countless hearts. My dad's sister Peggy lived with us briefly in the 70's and family friend Michael Hands lived with our family in his senior year at AHS. My school friends always come around at dinner time mysteriously. I remember one friend telling mom, "I don't eat vegetables Mrs. Fenk". Jessie smiled and said, "you do here". One friend started giving me a ride to school. After a few days I wake up and go downstairs, and he is having breakfast with Jessie before school. Everybody loved Jessie. Neighbors always said hello to Jessie if she was outside with the dog or sitting on the steps… Jessie was preceded in death by our father, Norman Fenk Sr.; her parents, Paul R. and Jessie M. Pottgeiser; and her brother, Paul E. Pottgeiser. She is survived by her sons, Norman Fenk Jr., Paul Fenk, and Matt Fenk, who will continue to honor her legacy through the values she instilled in them. A funeral service celebrating Jessie's life will be held on February 10, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. at Holy Sepulchre Funeral Center in Hayward, California.