Jo Ann Fournier Rosenthal

PORTLAND – Jo Ann Rosenthal, 85, passed away peacefully on Jan. 12, 2025. Jo Ann grew up in Lewiston, the daughter of Lorenzo and Irene Fournier.

Jo Ann’s early education was at the Ave Maria Academy in Sabattus, a French Catholic boarding school that influenced Jo Ann’s academic life early on, as she later flourished at St. Dominic’s High School and in life. Jo Ann enjoyed representing St. Dom’s as a cheerleader as they won the state hockey title all four years and vied for the N.E. Championships in Providence, R.I. These were the years of bobby socks and saddle shoes, petticoats and jitterbug, and Jo Ann welcomed it all … Family life was very full; she loved all of the active and cheerful gatherings of the large Fournier extended family, aunts, uncles, and cousins, especially on Christmas Eve where Midnight Mass and the French Reveillon traditions kept their party going into the wee hours, with Jo Ann playing the piano as everyone sang, always marking the farewell with a tip to her Mom, “Goodnight, Irene”.

Their cottage on Sabattus Lake was a social place where time slowed with swimming, boating, and lawn games, long Canasta bouts filling rainy days, big extended family dinners and no TV; that is, until Elvis changed all of that in 1956 when all eyes locked onto a small screen with good rabbit ears, making its way into an otherwise enviably peaceful setting.

After graduating from the University of Maine in Orono in 1961, Jo Ann taught high school English for many years in Connecticut and New Hampshire, then settled in Bedford, N.H., where she helped her husband, Jack Power, start their commercial hardware business, John M. Power Associates.

The itch for selling real estate soon set in and she began a successful career as Jo Ann Power working for the Houck & Hall Real Estate Agency in Bedford in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, becoming vice president of Houck and Hall in Amherst while she still managed the firm’s Bedford office. As they now merged with the DeWolfe Agency, she still managed to find time to play in the Bedford Rotary band fundraising for local projects. She also loved hosting the company holiday parties in her home where she was the life of the party always leading guests in song at the piano. Since Jo Ann was the top salesperson for many of those years, there’s no need to describe her tenacity and her competitive spirit. She was an energetic, gregarious, warm person who loved matching a buyer with the right house, and closing the deal. And they would return the favor to list with her.

In 1986 Jo Ann married Burton Rosenthal. Their compatibility was ideal. Burt was always ready to help Jo Ann in all of her ventures. They bought a lovely condo at Short Sands Beach in York, where a gazebo between their condo and the beach hosted musicians: Jo Ann would never miss an Elvis impersonator … There, Burt learned to play the piano and together they sang and danced their way into her retirement in 2006, which took them to The Villages, Fla., where they spent many well-earned years making friends in their neighborhood, on the golf course, and at the bridge table. Yet it was the Red Sox that enriched her life as she again cheered on her team, never missed a game, joined Red Sox Nation, and clinched Red Sox car #83 of 107 cars built by Volvo to commemorate their 107 wins, including the 2007 World Series.

As it was Maine that always drew them back, Jo Ann returned for her final years following Burt’s passing in 2022 after caring for him at home. Jo Ann’s family would like to thank the tireless, loving caregivers at Lunder of the Cedars in Portland who cared for Jo Ann. The Gosnell House in Scarborough was a blessing during her last days.

Jo Ann is survived by her sister, Jacqueline Curley, of Falmouth; her niece, Jennifer Bessey (Nathaniel Bessey) of Yarmouth, and nephew, Ryan Curley of Atlanta, Ga.; stepchildren, Courtney Rosenthal (Juliette Rosenthal) of Portland, Ore., and Margot Rivelis (Michael Rivelis) of Franklin, Mass.; cousin, Paul Fournier (Pauline Fournier) of Lewiston and The Villages, Fla.; Samuel Bessey and Margaret Bessey; Samuel Rivelis and Melissa Rivelis-Clarke; and sister-in-law, Rosalyn Feinberg; and many friends in Maine, New Hampshire and Florida.

Special gratitude is extended to friends Maria and Chris as well as Brenda and Pete and also cousins Paul and Pauline for always being there for JoAnn over the years.

A private burial will be held in late spring.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to sign Jo Ann’s online guest book, and to leave a tribute.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jo Ann’s memory would be appreciated in support of

The Cedars

630 Ocean Ave.

Portland, ME 04103