Jeanette Marie Denton, 90, of Whitehall and Bethlehem, formerly of Morristown and Mendham, New Jersey, Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, and Wife, passed away on Monday, July 18, 2022, at her son’s home in Morristown, NJ.

A truly amazing woman of many and continually growing interests, Jeanette was born October 13, 1931, in Lancaster, PA, daughter of Thomas and Marie Ibbotson. She attended Lancaster Catholic High School, Class of 1949; Penn State University/Merrill Palmer Institute, Class of 1953, where she received a BS in Home Economics and Lehigh University, Class of 1992, where she received her MS in Counseling.

Jeanette met her husband, Richard “Dick” Todd Denton, at Penn State University, married in 1953 and they raised eleven children. Throughout Jeanette’s life, she inspired others through the kindness she continually showed: inviting a young mother into her home so the woman could raise her daughter, hosting a Somalian family for a month when they came to the United States as refugees, sponsoring local and international children in need through donating her time and money, and many, many more acts of kindness. Jeanette also inspired others by acting in many plays, singing, and playing the guitar in her church’s folk group, traveling to an Arizonian indigenous village to teach young children, and learning the bodhran in her sixties and then spending the next thirty years traveling to bodhran festivals around the world, playing with other musicians at Porter’s Pub in Easton or joining the Tartan Terrors at the Mauch Chunk Opera House to perform.

While raising a large family, spreading kindness, and inspiring others to try a new challenge, Jeanette also worked as a relocation counselor, weight loss counselor and therapist. Jeanette was also always active in her community and church. She was a dedicated member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians; actively campaigned for President Obama for both of his presidential campaigns; served as a Eucharistic minister at Whitehall Manor and St Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church; led Marriage Encounters through her church and helped many people whom she met in the community. Jeanette was a 2018 recipient of the Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services’ Unsung Heroes Award which goes to older adults who have displayed generosity to improve and enhance the lives of those around them.

Jeanette was loved by her family and friends, and she will be deeply missed. She was predeceased by her husband, Dick, her siblings, Julia Martin and Thomas Ibbotson, and her grandson, James Nagle. Jeanette is survived by her 11 children: Michael Denton (Mary Ann), Tom Denton (Michele), Terry Kiely (Eugene), Sue Morton (Michael), John Denton (Holly), Matt Denton, Steve Denton (Bridget), Amy Nagle (Jim), Chris Denton (Wendy), Betsy Laureano (Jason), Eileen Denton (John); 25 grandchildren; 6 great grandchildren; her sister Kathleen Mahony and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Now that Jeanette has gone to heaven to join her husband Dick and other special people whom she has lost, she leaves behind a legacy of accepting others who are different, always helping those in need, never being afraid to challenge herself with new experiences and, most importantly, unconditionally loving family and friends.

Services: Relatives and friends are invited to her viewings on Thursday evening, from 6:00-8:00 PM and on Friday morning from 9:00-9:45 AM in the JAMES FUNERAL HOME, 527 Center St., Bethlehem, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday at 10:30 A.M. in Saints Simon and Jude Church 730 W. Broad St., Bethlehem. Burial-Holy Saviour Cemetery.

Contributions:Donations to the ACCESS Chester Community Center (attention: Sister Maggie Gannon) in Chester, PA, http://accesschester.org/ are welcome in Jeanette’s memory.

Mass will be Live-Streamed: To watch the service, please click on the Photos and Videos Tab from the menu and then click on Webcasting. The Service will go live at 10:30 A.M.