Jacqueline Marie Tarantino
September 1, 1946 - October 9, 2022
San Rafael, California
Jacki Tarantino, born and raised in Stockton, California, died in San Francisco on October 9, 2022. She was 76 years old. Jacki attended St. Mary’s High School in Stockton and first moved to the Bay Area to attend Dominican College in San Rafael, where she studied
Sociology and participated in theater productions. After college, she practiced geriatric social work in Stockton, where she met her husband of 51 years, Frank. She was married on May 15, 1971 and raised her son, William, in South San Francisco until moving to San Rafael in 1981. She taught music and physical education at St. Isabella’s school in Terra Linda, and later transitioned to early childhood education, her true passion. Known as “Jumpin’ Jacki,” she focused on integrating music and movement education into early childhood curricula. She earned her masters degree from San Francisco State in 2002 and mentored countless teachers throughout the Bay Area.
Throughout her career and in every aspect of her life, she dedicated herself to the service of others, and selflessly gave her time and talent wherever it was needed. She loved to cook for her family and maintained a beautiful garden. A true sports fan, she spent many nights at Candlestick Park watching her Giants and 49ers.
In 2014, she suffered a serious brain injury and bravely recovered through hours of therapy and the tremendous
support of her husband. Never comfortable with idle time, Jacki was a prolific knitter of scarves in recent years
and gifted nearly 100 scarves to the vast UCSF medical team who cared for her in the last years of her life. She was remarkably resilient, amazingly optimistic, and undeterred by obstacles.
Her life was a blessing. She is survived by her husband, Frank, her son and daughter-in-law, William and Rowena, and her three grandchildren, Gabriel, Lucia, and Matteo, to whom she gave her whole heart. Her passing is a
great loss. A funeral mass will be held on October 27th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Isabella’s Catholic Church, with a reception to follow in the Parish Center.