Jerry Rosenthal, 85, of Hillsboro died Oct. 6, 2026. Mr. Rosenthal was raised in Bluefield, W.Va., and attended West Virginia University. After college, he moved to California, where he began a long career in the insurance industry. In 1970, he married Eva (Barlow) in San Rafael, Calif., and adopted her two sons. In the spring of 1973, he saw Billy Joel perform at the Executive Room cocktail lounge in the Wilshire district of Los Angeles (a piano bar that served as the inspiration for the hit song, “Piano Man”). He moved to the city of Hillsboro in 2011 and spent his last two years at Hillcrest Care Center in De Soto. Born Sept. 21, 1941, in Bluefield, W.Va., he was the son of Harry and Sade (Soble) Rosenthal.
He is survived by two sons: Daryl (Jean) Rosenthal of Indianapolis, Ind., and Shane (Heidi) Rosenthal of Hillsboro; six grandchildren: Ryan Weaver, Morgan Rosenthal, Sydney (Eric) Elizondo, Tess Rosenthal, Ethan Rosenthal and Grace Evelin Rosenthal; and a great-granddaughter: Sophia Elizondo.