Jannine MacDonnell

1943 - 2025

Jannine MacDonnell
07/22/1943 - 11/01/2025
It is with great sadness that we share that our amazing mom, Jannine Bovet MacDonnell, passed away peacefully at her home on November 1st, surrounded by the family to whom she had dedicated her life. Her final moments were filled with love, laughter, tears, and gratitude. She faced her illness with extraordinary grace and courage, leaving this world exactly as she lived it - with unwavering love for her friends and family.
A warm and generous spirit, Jan was a loving wife, devoted sister and daughter, mother of four, and grandmother to eleven. Born and raised in San Mateo, California, she was the eldest of three sisters born to Eric Bovet and Dorothy Champion.
Jan married Robert MacDonnell, the love of her life and her partner in adventure, laughter, and devotion. Together they built a beautiful life and family. In later years, Jan cared tenderly for both her husband, Robert, and her mother as they faced Alzheimer's disease - an act of quiet heroism that reflected her deep compassion and strength.
An intellectual with a subtle but ever-present rebellious streak, Jan began her studies at Wellesley College before transferring to UC Berkeley. She traveled the world with a boundless curiosity about different cultures, art, architecture, and ways of life. She rarely judged - until later in life, when she became delightfully beguiled by Fox News, and then she judged just a little.
A voracious reader, Jan was constantly in search of a book she hadn't yet devoured. She was deeply intelligent, creative, and possessed a true artist's eye - able to see beauty in both the grand and the smallest of details. She loved travel, scarves, the vineyard property where she lived in Rutherford and her many dogs. Over the years, she was proudly (and sometimes exasperatedly) the devoted owner of eleven dogs, each one certain they were her favorite. Her daily walks with them were as much about reflection and peace as they were about being dragged enthusiastically through the vineyard. She found joy in Africa, especially in elephants and hippos, and peace in the ocean and nature. Few things made her happier than sipping a mai tai on the beach at Mauna Kea with her dear friends, watching the sun set over the Pacific.
Jan also found great joy and laughter in her longtime investing group, where she delighted in the company of her girlfriends and often joked about trying to reconcile the fine line between gambling and investing. Those friendships - full of humor, candor, and love - were among the treasures of her life.
A self-described Buddhist, she found the divine in the world around her - in trees, light, and open skies. Her wit was sharp, her spirit kind, and her walks long and contemplative.
Jan believed that mature trees made a property special and had a particular love for palm trees and crepe myrtles. She carried a quiet confidence and strength that became the backbone of her family.
Her presence is woven into the very fabric of Round Pond Estate winery, a place she cherished deeply. She took immense joy in watching it evolve - seeing beauty created by all who care for it as she did. Her touch can be seen everywhere: in the palm trees lining the driveway, the chapel, the scholar's gate, the stones and sculptures, and every subtle detail that only an artist's eye could shape. Her legacy will live on here, in the love and beauty she inspired.
Jan is survived by her beloved sister Diane Egger-Bovet; her four children - Ryan, Miles, Nita, and Claire - and their spouses; and her eleven adoring grandchildren, all of whom brought her endless joy and pride.
We take comfort in knowing that Jan is already adding her signature touches to heaven - reimagining the light, rearranging the clouds, and spreading her warmth, laughter, and love. Her light and beauty will forever shape the world she has left behind, continuing to inspire all of us who were lucky enough to know and love her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's organization of your choice, in honor of Jan's boundless compassion and the loved ones she cared for so deeply.