Dr. Janette Finegold

Dr. Janette Goddard Finegold of Houston passed away on Sunday, October 13, 2019. She was born on March 16, 1948 in West Palm Beach, FL to the late Edward and Jean Moore Goddard, the eldest of four highly accomplished sisters. An Honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Science in 1970 and its Medical School in 1974, Jan came to Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital for pediatric internship and residency, followed by a fellowship in neurodevelopmental pediatrics and research in neonatal brain injury. Her work in the laboratory in the 1980s soon led to major changes in the care of very premature infants, including the "minimal stimulation protocol" that has been adopted in nurseries worldwide. This has reduced cerebral hemorrhages and brain damage in that population by over 75%. Later she devoted her skills to clinical Developmental Pediatrics until a complex illness forced her to retire as an Associate Professor in 2002. In retirement, Jan developed several creative hobbies and occupations, including black-and white photography with The Zoners, and a unique style of Greeting cards and jewelry, under the aegis of "Beautsies and Cutesies", cherished by her "Tuesday Tootsie" buddies for many years. She was inspired by the poetry of her cousin, Randall Jarrell (1914-1965), to publish "The Bee in the Bottle and other poems" in 2013. Jan has also written four papers about her life with chronic disease, living with a tracheostomy, loss, and depression, with accompanying experience of therapy and adaptation that have proven valuable in the education of trainees in psychiatry. Jan is survived by Milton Finegold MD, her husband of 37 years, step-children Andrew, David and Emily Bouchard, grandchildren Sam and Charlotte, her three sisters, Beth Hornig, Carol Macmillan, and Dindy Murphy and their loving families, beloved dachshund, Trixie, and her devoted caretaker, Julia Moreno, without whom she would not have survived as long as she did. A memorial service is planned for Sunday, December 15, 2019 from 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM at the Houston Marriott - Medical Center, 6580 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77030. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to some of Jan's favorite charities, among which are the Dachshund Rescue of Houston, https://www.droh.org/info/donate, Opera in the Heights, https://www.operaintheheights.org/donate or the ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/ways-to-give.

Dr. Janette Finegold

March 16, 1948 - October 13, 2019