06/09/2026

Jennie Pagano. Artistic, empathetic, intelligent, supportive.

Jennie Berg Pagano was one of the most unique individuals I have known, and I am so very lucky to have her as a mother. She had exceptional taste in music, always introducing me to new bands as a young teen. She loved hearing a banjo ‘where she didn’t expect it’. Much of the music I still listen to today came from her recommendations: Iron & Wine, the Avett Brothers, the Milk Carton Kids. She supported my musical interests when I was young, and often took me out to concerts to experience live music – something that absolutely shaped me, and something for which I will be forever grateful.

She was a woman of intense wisdom, teaching my sister and me life lessons simply through her actions. Seeing everyone for who they were: no prejudice, no assumptions, just respect and empathy. A friend of mine related a memory that stuck with him for over twenty years: he was young, going through a punk phase that his parents did not appreciate. He had worn his bleached jean jacket to my house, complete with studs and sewn on patches, and my mother beamed at the sheer uniqueness and confidence of it all. She loved it, and he felt seen and accepted by my mother who truly appreciated people that could unapologetically be themselves.

A graduate of Emanuel College and Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Jennie’s eyes had been on a nursing career, though art and creativity were a constant interest. My sister, father and I all have pieces of her art in our possession, many of which used her favored charcoal medium. She was a woman of many talents – easily said. While excelling in her nursing career, she pivoted into the lumber and door hardware industry to ensure that her family’s business did not fade away. She knew little about running a business, but that did not stop her from putting everything she had into that company. When she faced opposition it only made her work harder and drove her further.

When she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009 and told that she would likely not make it another four years, she fought. She did her research, found alternative methods of treatment: holistic, therapeutic, and conventional. She did not give up. She did everything in her power to live, and pushed 4 years to 16. While my mother was an unbelievably strong person, she rarely reached out to those closest to her for support, not wanting to burden them. She had done so much for all of us, it feels impossible that she would not want to give others the chance to help her, and be there for her. She would put on a strong face, not bring up her sickness or worries unprovoked, never wanting to talk about them.

My mother was a beautiful individual, but she was not perfect. One thing that I have taken away from this tragic loss of life it is that we cannot be afraid to lean on our loved ones and those close to us when we are in need. This is part of the agreement – I help you, you help me. It is not weakness to ask for help, and you are not a burden. It is an opportunity for others to repay your kindnesses and all that you have done for them.