Elsie Maxwell Rosenthal

Elsie Maxwell Rosenthal Obituary

Elsie Maxwell Rosenthal of Petaluma, California and her husband, Donald Mardon Rosenthal, passed away suddenly on Sunday, March 22, 2026, due to a traffic accident in Marin County, California. Elsie and Don were returning from a wonderful cruise exploring the coast of Spain.

Elsie and Don met in San Francisco, California and were married in 2008. They shared many interests and adventures throughout their marriage; their love of sailing, hikes with friends in the hills of Marin and South Lake Tahoe, as well as many trips throughout the world.

Elsie was born in Alexandria, Louisiana on July 26,1955. She was a graduate of Bolton High School and LSU Baton Rouge. She then continued her education, obtaining an MBA from University of North Texas, Dallas.

In 1986, she began her finance career at Electronic Data Systems in Dallas, where she was the Director of Pension Investments. In 1994, she moved to Bank of America in San Francisco where she served as the Senior Vice-President/Chief Investment Officer for the Northern California Private Bank.  Her career then continued, in 2000, at Tukman Grossman Capital Management as the Director of Client Service for 17 years. In her role, Elsie provided financial analysis for clients, studied economic trends, met with clients to share portfolio insights, and delivered business presentations to prospective clients. She traveled the world speaking and leading in the investment arena where colleagues widely recognized her as an outstanding educator and leader.

Elsie served on numerous Boards; including the CFA Institute, New Millennium Advisors, Clear Cut Medical, and Extraordinary Women on Boards to name just a few. She believed in education, women in leadership and extensive philanthropy. Elsie was highly respected in the industry by all her peers.

She was also a woman of many passions. She loved traveling and had explored over 53 countries. Her love of adventure and excitement for new cultures was fuel for her exploration. Another great passion was her true, deep love of animals. We never knew Elsie to not own an animal and was continuously encouraging others to adopt. At last count Elsie cared for and loved 8 dogs, 1 horse, 2 cats and a donkey. She knew every dog at the dog parks, but not necessarily their owner’s names. She was a well-known supporter of the Marin Humane Society, Rocket Dog Rescue, Best Friends, The Milo Foundation and numerous other rescues around the country, often as a contributing member on the Board of Directors.

Elsie is survived by her sisters, Dorothy Charlotte Carnahan and Bettye Anne Benten (husband, Christopher). She was loved by her nephews Charles Carnahan and David Carnahan (wife Andrea) and their children Isaiah, Jonah, Camryn, Makenzie and Emilee Carnahan. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Avery and Hazel Maxwell of Alexandria, Louisiana. 

Elsie’s legacy lives on in the hearts of family, dear friends, and all who had the honor of loving her. She will be deeply missed.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to those that responded to the accident.

Should friends wish to make donations on her behalf, please consider the Marin Humane Society at www.marinhumane.org and Rocket Dog Rescue at www.rocketdogrescue.org.

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