Beverly Irene (Fitch) Rosenthal

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Rosenthal, Beverly Irene (Fitch) age 81, of Augusta, GA, and formerly of Crystal, MN, and Omaha, NE, loving wife, mother, and grandmother, died peacefully at home at the hour of Divine Mercy on November 16th. Preceded in death by her mother, Irene Bertha Fitch, brother Bradley Fitch, and infant sister, Mary Lee Fitch. Survived by her beloved husband, Paul William Rosenthal, and her four children, daughters Anne Rosenthal, Mary Rosenthal Brand, her husband Michael Richard "Ricky" Brand, Katie Rosenthal Kleiner, and her husband Scott Kleiner, and son John Paul Rosenthal, and his wife, Teresa Erpenbach Rosenthal, and her grandchildren, Sarah and Rachel Brand, and Max and Jane Kleiner. Beverly is also survived by her beloved nieces, Susan Fitch Grady, Debbie Fitch, and nephews, John Fitch and Robert Fitch, and numerous Rosenthal and Fitch nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews. She was a generous and loyal friend, and a talented artist who shared her gifts freely. Beverly grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and attended Central High School. At age 17, she won a city-wide contest for her first still life painting and studied under Augustus Dunbier, a well-known Nebraska painter. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Raphael's Church in Crystal, MN, where she planted flowers, created beautiful banners for the sanctuary, made signs for the parish festival, and painted baseball diamonds, hopscotch, and other games on the blacktop to make a playground for the children of St. Raphael's. From the shores of Carter Lake, where Paul proposed to her, to the shores of Twin Lake, where they built the home of their dreams, to the shores of Lake Superior, where they took their last trip together, she was always in tune with the natural beauty around us and captured it in her paintings. Her family and friends are the lucky beneficiaries of her creativity, industriousness, and aesthetic sensibility. Her love for her grandchildren was apparent in her thoughtful handmade gifts and in her encouragement and appreciation of their individual talents and interests. Cooking, baking, sewing, planting -- she excelled at making a comfortable and welcoming home. Her beautiful gardens and holiday decor were often joint projects between her and Paul -- cases of his German precision with her Czech supervision. They shared many family adventures camping in the West, the Boundary Waters, and Canada. After their children were grown, Beverly worked in Paul's law office. They retired together in Georgia, most recently in Augusta, where they became members of The Church of the Most Holy Trinity parish. Beverly was gracious and loving and made friends easily through her empathetic and kind nature. She had a note on her phone that said: "Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" Though she endured rheumatoid arthritis through most of her adult life, she always had a sunny outlook and a smile on her face. A deeply spiritual person, Beverly was inspired to join the Catholic faith at the age of 17. Her pilgrimages to Israel, Fatima, and Medjugorje, were among the highlights of her life. In recent years, she turned her devotion and her talents to the painting of icons and compiling prayer books for family and friends. She has a special devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux. She will be missed by all who knew her, for all who knew her, loved her. Donations in memory of Beverly Rosenthal may be sent to St. Paul Radio, P.O. Box 217, Evans, GA 30809. A funeral mass will be held on Friday, November 20th, at 12:15, at The Church of the Most Holy Trinity, 720 Telfair Street, Augusta, GA 30901, (706) 722-4944. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery, 7800 W Center Rd, Omaha, NE 68124, (402) 391-3711, at a date to be determined. A Rosary service will be held Thursday evening at 6:00 and the family will receive friends from 6:30 until 8:00 at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. Guestbook: thomaspoteet.com

Published on November 18, 2015