Jeanette France
It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, friend, and wife. After battling cancer, Jeanette passed away on October 20th, 2025 at her home in Santa Barbara with her family by her side.
Jeanette was a natural beauty, receiving many accolades including Miss Teen Fontana, Homecoming Queen, Sigma Chi Sweetheart, etc. – just to name a few. But she was not impressed by any of this and shied away from this kind of attention. What mattered most to her were people. She was literally charisma in human form… she could strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, anyplace…always finding a way to connect making a huge impression. She was truly a social butterfly with so many friends and so many people remembering her even after meeting her just one time. Nobody was like her. Nobody will ever be like her. Her smile was contagious and she was so full of life. She was sunshine in a bottle: energetic, friendly, fun loving and warm. There was never a dull moment in her presence.
Born on September 1st, 1942 in Fontana, California, she was the cherished only child of Freda and Mac McGregor. She often described her childhood as idyllic, where she was showered with love and surrounded by orange groves and mountains. Her happiest childhood memories were spent at her grandmother’s magical old log cabin in the San Bernardino mountains. This was the beginning of her life-long love affair with the mountains and Lake Arrowhead. There is no doubt that this was her happy place; it was a constant source of joy for her throughout her life. This is where her daughter was born and where she shared so many happy memories with her children, her grandmother, her parents, and so many friends over the years. This is also where she met her husband and where they later shared a second home until the spring of 2025.
Jeanette attended San Diego State University in 1960 where she met the father of her two children, Lisa Dawn Mansfield and Mark Cameron Mansfield. She cherished her children beyond words often referring to them as her biggest and best accomplishment.
In the late 1970’s, Jeanette moved to Santa Barbara to be with the love of her life, Clinton C France. They were married in 1983; this was the beginning of many happy years, the blending of two families and the birth of four grandsons. During her career, Jeanette was a real estate agent in Santa Barbara, where she won several awards. She preferred working with first time home owners, helping them find a home, their own happy place. She was an active member of her book club, staying friends with this group of women, “the chiclets”, even when she was too sick to attend. After retiring, Clint and Jeanette split their time between Santa Barbara and Lake Arrowhead, where they enjoyed their mountain cottage, spending time with friends, barbecuing, boating, and snow skiing. They also took many trips together to Laguna Seca, the Indy 500, Catalina, Carmel, Monterey, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, and the East Coast to see the fall colors. Jeanette also enjoyed traveling with her children, driving all over France with her son and daughter, as well as taking many trips to Seattle, the San Juan’s, the Olympic Peninsula, and most recently to New Orleans. She was always up for a new adventure and was the life of any party.
Jeanette is survived by her husband of 43 years, Clinton C. France, daughter Lisa Mansfield and son-in-law Carl Rabeler, son Mark Mansfield and daughter-in-law Marilinda Scarpa Mansfield, step daughter and son-in-law, Kim and Adam Enticknap , step daughter and son-in-law Marla and Tim Daglis, as well as four grandsons: Jacob Frontado, Jared Daglis, Justin Daglis, and Zachary Frontado. Jeanette cared so much about her family, always showing up and helping out when it was needed most. She loved her husband and adored her two children, as well her step daughters and grandsons. She fit in perfectly everywhere because she knew how to love and she was loved back. She will always be loved …and so greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation on behalf of Jeanette to Ridley Tree Cancer Center, Santa Barbara, CA.
A special thanks to Dr. Kendle, Ridley Tree Cancer Center, the nursing staff at Cottage Hospital and the hospice team at Central Coast who showed up like angels from above.
