John "Jack" Rosenthal

John (Jack) Rosenthal, passed away on December 25, 2024 to join his beloved wife, Priscilla Rosenthal, of nearly 69 years, in eternal life with their Lord. He was born on October 10, 1929 in West Allis, WI to Regina (Peters) & William Rosenthal.
He is survived by his children Damon Rosenthal of Avon, CT, Jeff (Lorine) Rosenthal of Seekonk, MA, and Susan (Joe) Gest of Vero Beach, FL. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Meagan (Michael) Emana, Erika (Dennis) Dicey, Timothy Riordan and Candace (Steven) Conroy, as well as his great-grandchildren Claire Emana, Curran Dicey and Oliver Jack Emana.
In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by his older brother, Richard Rosenthal and younger sister, Rachel Jurco.
Jack graduated from Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1947. Attending the University of Idaho on a Navy Reserve Officers Training Corp scholarship, he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and was commissioned in the US Navy in 1951. He proudly served on the USS Lofberg DD759 in the Korean War. After the war, while assigned to the USS Willis A. Lee, DL4 under construction in the Bethlehem shipyard, Quincy, MA, he met his future wife, Priscilla.
Jack and Priscilla created a wonderful home for their family in West Hartford where they raised their three children. Jack served as a board member for the Bridlepath PTA and Sedgwick PTO, participated in Indian Guides with Damon and Jeff, and was co-president of the US Air Force Academy Parents Association of Connecticut while Susan was a cadet. Additionally, Priscilla and Jack were longtime members of Bethany Lutheran Church in West Hartford participating in Couples Club and the Evangelism Committee. Jack also served as a deacon.
Jack had a love of aviation that lasted a lifetime. Gas powered model airplanes were one of his favorite pastimes as a young boy. He took a slight detour from aviation to serve in the US Navy where he found himself on ships instead of aircraft. However, he found his way back to aviation by using his math degree to land a job with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, CT. After completing an engineering program, Jack went on to design sections of many commercial engines and also a component of the engines in the military SR-71 Blackbird. Jack also earned two Master's degrees - one in Engineering and the other in Management at RPI, while working full time.
Jack used his drafting skills to design a vacation home on Cape Cod for his wife and himself.
Their house in Orleans became the center of many summer memories for their family. Grandchildren recall going "bump bump" in the Ford Explorer as Papa and Grammy took them onto the beach to splash in the waves and play in the sand. Later, Jack added his famous gazebo, which became the gathering place for family and friends.
In 1984, Jack took Priscilla across the ocean as he became the Chief of Design for International Aero Engines, a new consortium with engineering in Derby, England. This position included a lot of international travel which he enjoyed with his wife traveling alongside him. Jack's pleasant personality fed his success dealing with the partners from Japan, Germany, Italy and the UK. The final product, the V2500 engine went on to become a successful engine providing power to the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.
After retirement, Jack didn't stop his obsession with aviation. He enjoyed building gasoline engine powered radio - controlled aircraft with his eldest son, Damon. He proudly presented his Stinson Reliant along with a PowerPoint presentation on its history and specifications to the P&W Retiree's group. And then, ten years after retirement, he took a job as a "yellow badge" (contractor) at P&W and wrote the Component Requirements Document for the GP7000, an engine designed by a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney and General Electric, to power the Airbus A380. He loved the pure engineering aspect of the job - no executive responsibilities!
Aside from Aviation as a career and hobby, Jack's other love was being "Papa." He was the father figure to Meagan and Timothy. Parents in Avon knew him well as he drove his grandchildren to sports practices and other activities while their mom was busy working at - Pratt Whitney! He was also there for Erika and was able to watch his three grandchildren grow up together in the Farmington Valley. Jack was blessed to then see the next generation - three great-grandchildren. However, he was never "Great-grandpa" - he was just simply "Papa!" Jack enjoyed every special minute spent with his grands - they taught him how exhausting it can be to raise children later in life, but also how rewarding.
His family will receive friends on Monday, December 30, 2024, 10:00am - 11:00am at Bethany Lutheran Church, 1655 Boulevard, West Hartford, CT 06107 followed by the funeral service at 11:00am. Burial will follow at the West Avon Cemetery, at the corner of Country Club and Burnham Rd in Avon, CT.
Memorial donations may be made to Bethany Lutheran Church, 1655 Boulevard, West Hartford, CT 06107.