Jean “Jena” Guenther was born in Providence, R.I., on August 8, 1951, and died at the McClure Miller Respite House on June 6, 2026.
Jean Jena loved flowers and the profound life force of Mother Nature. She had a gift for creating exquisite beauty and balance in her gardens and landscaping.
Honoring the divine and exploring and expanding her spirituality was a huge part of Jean Jena’s personal and professional life. This began in her early days in Catholic school. She later found community, love and joy at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Burlington. She had the chance to retreat with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and traveled to the Oneness Temple in Andhra Pradesh, India. Most recently, she attended and led Oneness Blessing Circles with the Burlington Oneness Center.
As a psychotherapist for 40 years, Jean Jena accompanied people through their life changes with care and encouragement. We heard from many former clients about how profoundly she impacted them. She gave permission to make difficult and bold choices and allowed people to blossom into their next phase. She founded the Vermont Center for Psychosynthesis and offered training as well as individual and couples counseling. Jean Jena worked tirelessly to help found, and then grow, the Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis, an international organization focused on advancing psychosynthesis “for the peace, purpose and wholeness of individuals, society and the planet.” She was also one of the founding families of the Lake Champlain Waldorf School.
She was predeceased by her mother, Dortha Mershon; her father, Louis Guenther; and her older sister Selby Minner.
Jean Jena is survived by her beloved husband, Bob Stuhlmann; sister Hilary Conley (Ron), children, Leighton Johnson (Zpora Perry) and Emily Gosain (Manu Gosain); stepchildren, Nev Levin, Emma Goodman (Ben) and Christopher Stuhlmann; and her grandchildren, Lyle Johnson, Aarya and Meera Gosain, and Matilda, Max and Jane Goodman; as well as many dear friends.
She loved expansively. She was delighted by her grandchildren in all their youthful boisterousness and gamely put in earplugs on holidays so they could bang away on the piano and perform puppet shows in the living room.
Bob and Jean Jena had a strong and unwavering bond that deepened in the last few years as they navigated her illness. Their time together shifted to swims in the neighborhood pool and then to Bob reading books out loud to her while she listened appreciatively.
Jean Jena lived her life on her terms, which often looked unconventional and even eccentric. She died on her terms as well, choosing to discontinue cancer treatment when it made her very sick. She was able to stay at home for most of her remaining weeks, surrounded by flowers and family and friends. We are grateful for the quality of time she had as she heard from many people near and far who shared their memories, appreciations and love with her and with all of us.
Special thanks to Preferred Care at Home of Champlain Valley and the hospice teams with University of Vermont Home Health & Hospice and at McClure Miller Respite House for their exceptional care for Jean Jena at the end of her life.
All are welcome to attend a celebration of life on August 8, 2026, 9:30 a.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Burlington.