Obituary: Jeanette Topham, 1937 - 2026

Jeanette Davis (McDonald) Topham, 88, died peacefully surrounded by her family on February 21, 2026.

Jeanette was born on Nantucket on November 26, 1937 to John “Captain Jack” and Mary Genevieve (Davis) McDonald. She was the third of eight children in the McDonald family. It was a home of love, pride, and faith. She graduated from Nantucket High School in 1955, attended Bates College for two years, and made lifelong friends.

Jeanette married her high school sweetheart, and love of her life, Jack Topham, on September 1, 1958. They originally settled in Connecticut as Jack worked at Pratt & Whitney. However, the call of home was strong for both of them. They arrived back on Nantucket in early 1960 with their three-month-old daughter, Leigh. Jeanette believed that their most important accomplishment was to raise good and happy people who would have their own individuality. They welcomed John Jr., Anastasia (Stacey), Joseph, Patrick, Beth, and Rosemary in the next 14 years.

Jeanette and Jack worked and supported each other to provide for their family. During the early years of marriage, they scalloped commercially, while Jeanette waitressed and tended bar, and Jack picked up carpentry and electrical jobs. Jack worked at Nantucket Electric Company, starting as a lineman and advancing to Vice President of Operations before retiring after almost 40 years of service to the company. In later years, they were able to travel with their children and made numerous trips as a couple. They believed in setting time aside each evening to catch up with one another; and in taking trips without the children to strengthen their relationship as a couple.

In 1977, Jeanette began “Jeanette Topham Catering”, a family business where each of the “kids” helped in many ways. She catered many a party, dinner, and wedding, and served celebrities including President Biden, Senator Ted Kennedy, Bobby Orr, and many others. Jeanette retired after running her business for over 30 years, passing the reins on to her daughter Stacey. In retirement, she enjoyed playing golf, tennis, bridge, and spending time with her husband and their family. She was Nana to 14 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson. Each grandchild received an ivory keychain upon high school graduation, in addition to Nana’s immense pride and a few joyful tears. The great-grandchildren brought happiness and a loving chaos when at Nana’s, when they all circled their toy shopping carts around her house. Every greeting and departure from Mom/Nana was given with a kiss and a “good luck, never goodbye." Jeanette also became “Nana” to some of her grandchildren’s cousins and friends; the mutual love and respect was evident.

Jeanette was actively involved in numerous non-profits and town committees. She served on the Nantucket School Committee, Nantucket Town Government Study Committee, the Nantucket Scholarship Committee, Chamber of Commerce, the Committee for Disability, and the Airport Commission. She often visited airport employees while a member of the Airport Commission, getting to know the employees and valuing their dedication to their jobs and community.

For 10 years, Jeanette was on the Board of A Safe Place, Inc., a member of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s Access to Healthcare Committee, a Scout leader, was pivotal in the early stages of Nantucket Aids Network, and was named Senior of the Year in 2019.

Jeanette’s faith was paramount; her mantra was “If God gave it to me, God will get me through it.” She was a communicant at St. Mary’s, Our Lady of the Isle, where she and Jack were married. She was involved in the Women’s Guild, a Catechist, a lector, and a Eucharistic Minister. In 2005, Jeanette received the Marion Medal, an honor for service and devotion to her Church.

Jeanette’s greatest pride was being a wife and mother. She and Jack made each other a priority; their love was based on communication, dedication, love for each other and family, and of faith, honesty, and traditions. They taught their children by example with family gatherings, football Sundays, fried dough on Easter Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef, cabbage, Irish soda bread, and “itchy foot cake," Thanksgiving with all the fixings, Christmas breakfast with family, friends, and people who had no place to go; and always Christmas dinner as the entire family. Little Christmas was a favorite for all; biscuits with charms forecasting the luck of the coming year made lovingly by Jeanette; and then the zaniness of throwing biscuits over the house for good luck. She told her children it was an Irish, perhaps a Newfoundland, tradition in her family, but no one knows for sure. What traditions like this did was to bring joy and laughter to all generations.

As her husband’s health took a turn with Parkinson’s disease with Lewy Bodies, she lovingly and bravely cared for Jack. Again, teaching by example of the marriage vows “in sickness and in health.” Even in Jack’s illness, the love between them was evident. It is the family’s belief that she and Jack are happily reunited and dancing in heaven with one another and their son, John, and grandson, Jamie. Faith is a bond that unites her family and eases their loss.

In Jeanette’s words: “When all is said and done, I don’t want to be remembered as to how I voted or what I thought about the happenings in the news or the world. I want to be remembered as a loving, caring, compassionate person who did the best I could with the knowledge I had.”

Jeanette is pre-deceased by her husband Jack, son John, grandson Jamie Topham, son-in-law Rookie Ramos, her parents John and Mary McDonald, sisters Mary Fee and Helen Cranston, brother John McDonald, and nieces Kelly Ann McDonald and Erin Harmon; sister-in-law Joan McDonald; and brother-in-law John Fee, Sr.

She leaves behind her children, Leigh Topham Ramos, Stacey (Joseph) Perry, Joseph (Anne) Topham, Patrick (Jennifer Psaradelis) Topham, Beth (Michael) O’Keefe and Rosemary Topham; grandchildren: Jessica (Aaron) Bryan, Jennifer Lancaster, Shane (Shawna) Perry, Codie Perry, Dylan (Lauren) Perry; Morgan (Jazmine Kasperzyk) Perry; Philomena Topham, Josephine Topham; Bryna (David) Richards, Leland (Morgan Ashelford) Topham; Gabriella Psaradelis; Nicholas O’Keefe and Maggie O’Keefe; great-grandchildren: Jordan, Cameron (Krista) and Hayden Bryan; Jackson, Caroline and Theodore Lancaster; Aubree, Bentley & Charlie Perry; and Logan and Olivia Richards; and great-great grandson, Liam Wayne Bryan. Additionally, Jeanette leaves behind her sister, Genevieve (Reginald) Harmon; brothers Ronald McDonald, Michael (Nancy) McDonald and Robert McDonald; sister-in-law Roberta McDonald and brother-in-law James Cranston; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Jamie Topham Scholarship Fund, 22 Hummock Pond Road, Nantucket, MA. 02554; or the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, 61 Sparks Avenue, Nantucket, MA. 02554 or at https://www.nantucketboysandgirlsclub.org/ways-to-give

Wake is Friday, March 13, 2026 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm at 29 Hummock Pond Road with the Rosary at 6:00pm. Funeral Mass is at St. Mary’s Our Lady of the Isle, Saturday, March 14, 2026 at noon with burial and reception to follow.