Jeannette Louth was born September 7, 1924, the daughter of Horace and Josephine Atkins of Middleborough, Massachusetts. She was an avid Girl Scout. When World War II broke out, she volunteered to serve in the local National Defense Unit and became an air raid warden. This required that she patrol four blocks each evening for two hours, making sure that people had their blackout curtains down, and that no one was outside smoking cigarettes. There was always a fear that German U-boats might travel into the Cape Cod Canal and that any light could alert the enemy. 

She graduated Memorial High School in Middleborough and attended Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, majoring in Spanish. She received her B.A. in 1947 and later her Masters from Middlebury Spanish School. She pursued graduate courses from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Georgetown Summer School in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Bridgeport University in Connecticut. 

In the fall of 1947, she started her career as a Spanish teacher at Staples High School in Westport, CT. She always insisted that it was pure luck. Their Spanish teacher quit three days before the beginning of the school year. They needed a replacement and they hired her immediately. It proved a good match as she remained there for 35 years. During her tenure she was appointed to the CT Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, made up of foreign language teachers from elementary through university levels, both public and private. Its goal was the improvement of foreign language instruction in Connecticut, with a strong emphasis on the audio-lingual skills. 

She took off the 1950-51 school year to go to Spain and live with a Spanish family in order to improve her language skills and gain a better understanding of Spanish culture. It proved a unique experience and the friendships she formed there endured many years. 

She was a member of the Westport-Weston United Methodist Church and served in many capacities, including six years as lay leader and speaker and as Board member and Secretary of the Building Committee for the new church. She sang in the church choir and helped with fundraising activities to support the new church. 

Besides teaching, she had two great passions. The first was entertaining people of all ages. When her nephews and nieces were small, she would invite them to come from Massachusetts and spend the weekend with her in Westport. She loved introducing them to special places in Connecticut and New York City. After finding an apartment suitable for entertaining a larger group, she established the pattern of inviting each of her five Spanish classes to dinner each year. She enjoyed hearing her students express their ideas and aspirations. They felt free to say whatever they wished, knowing it would go no further. 

Her second passion was sewing for others; the more intricate the item, the more she enjoyed it. In addition to making dresses for her nieces, she made three wedding gowns and several ball gowns. She offered her talents freely to others and for Church auctions raising funds for charity. 

In 1985, she retired to West Harwich, MA and took up residence in the home where her grandmother brought up her children after her grandfather was lost at sea. Caleb Chase, a generous and community-minded Harwich citizen, stepped in to relieve the widow’s financial burden by fully paying the mortgage on the home. From then on, the Chase name was treated as a sacred trust to be honored by all family members. 

In 1992, she married William Louth, a friend of many years. They traveled between their two houses in West Harwich and Guilford, Connecticut. They took up permanent residence on the Cape in 1995. Wanting to be actively involved in church life, they spent their first year on the Cape searching for a church that would offer excellent preaching, good music and positive outreach. They settled on Brewster Baptist Church. During their life together they traveled to many far-off places, did much entertaining, and stayed active in Church. When Bill died in 2006, Jeannette stopped traveling abroad, spending more time with family and friends.

At her 60^th Middlebury College Reunion, Jeannette agreed to be the secretary for the Class of 1947, which involved writing four columns a year for the Alumni magazine. Through phone calls, letters and emails, she came to know many classmates she had not known in college days and reported their news. In June 2022, to her own astonishment, she was able to attend her 75^th College Reunion. 

When her sister Emily could no longer live alone, Jeannette moved her into her own home along with Emily’s cat, to better care for them. Emily died in 2016. After Jeannette had a serious fall in 2019, it became more difficult for her to remain independent. Her niece Virginia (Jennie) Atkins was able to move in to assist with her care until her passing. Jeannette stayed positive and rejoicing for her almost 102 years as she focused upon her many blessings. 

Jeannette died at home Wednesday, July 15, 2026. Preceded in death by her sister and two brothers, Donald and Harold. She is survived by her sister-in-law and lifetime best friend Margaret (Peg) Atkins of Middleborough, Massachusetts, her step-son Bradley Louth and his wife Nancy of Hampton, New Hampshire, her step-son Thomas Louth and his wife Jessie of Naugatuck, Connecticut. She was the best grandmother and aunt to her six step-grandchildren and five great-grandchildren along with many nieces, nephews, grands- and greats-. 

There will be a memorial service celebrating her life on Sept. 12, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Brewster Baptist Church, 1848 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631. 

At Jeannette’s request, instead of flowers, we welcome contributions in her honor to Brewster Baptist Church (1848 Main St, Brewster, MA 02631), Lower Cape Outreach (19 Brewster Cross Road, Orleans, MA 02653) or the charity of your choice.