Claretta Rothfield Jackson

Few lived quite like Claretta "Sandy" Rothfield Jackson, whose life began January 3, 1941, and ended on June 3, 2026. From Silver Age Hollywood stars to heads of state, many benefited from her timeless wisdom, infectious personality, and laugh. But those who knew her best will remember her as a force of nature who could conjure a school or home project in an instant, create phenomenal tasting items from a recipe she glanced at years prior, and freehand art renderings and murals that graced homes and businesses alike. Her legacy is one of bold action and tireless devotion to both those who are closest to her and total strangers in need, and all who knew her deeply mourn her loss.

Sandy saw the world, experiencing post-war Germany and every corner of the United States. At the young age of 15, she and her sister Claudine left home for Los Angeles, with determination and dreams of Hollywood. Through sheer force of will, and unlike most, she saw those dreams to fruition. As a young model and actress, she became acquainted with legends such as Julie Garland, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, and the Rat Pack, among others. She was a staple of the social scene and became a regular fixture in newspapers and magazines in the public eye.

But beyond the glittering veneer, she knew the "Outfit" as she called it, of the West Coast and Chicago. She was famously engaged to Mickey Cohen, experiencing the rise of Las Vegas in real time through associates like Bugsy Siegel, and living through its golden age first hand, in scenes typically only visible in the movies. Oh, the stories she would tell!

She eventually began running nightclubs and bookings in Chicago, meeting the father of her children and namesake of her grandchild, Max "Cozzy"Rothfield, a successful importer and businessman, with whom she built an empire of ventures and properties, subsequently moving to Florida. She raised her daughters, Cara and Mindy, in the Clearwater-Largo area, with the love, tenderness, and aspirational greatness that is the stuff of fairytales. Today, streets bearing her daughters' names are just some of the many things that bear witness to everything they built together.

After Max's passing from cancer, Sandy never stopped. She built a successful career of her own as a top Century 21 Realtor for the entire State of Florida and a special needs volunteer teacher. She remarried Bert Jackson and loved spending time traveling on their boat, the "Black Swan," scallop diving and sport fishing, as well as maintaining a menagerie of creatures on their ranch. She rescued zebras, buffalo, and burrows from across the US, she showed horses, and she housed many other animals in need.

In her later life, she devoted herself to caring for her family. She used the life that was built to enrich and brighten the days of those around her. Her focus was spent on myriad charitable ventures, fulfilling every fantastical dream or event for her children and grandchildren. She then moved to Atlanta to help raise her grandsons and have long summer stays with her granddaughters, with the same love and devotion that characterized all of her endeavors.

She spent her remaining days with family and friends at her late care home, all of whom adored her as she did them, with the unchanging positivity and care that she emulated.

She always uplifted others in her interactions, from her daughters' school friends to friends throughout her life. All tell stories about how she affected their lives with her love and sage advice.

Throughout her life, Sandy unselfishly used her funds to make those around her happy and wealthier in love than one can imagine. If it could be done, Sandy figured out how to do it, and if she couldn't, she'd give it her all. Her life was lived as only she could put it: "I've swung from the chandeliers and when I can't anymore, I'll pull them from the ceiling," which she certainly did. Her life was a whirlwind of projects and ambition, even to the very end. Sandy knew joy, sorrow, triumph, and was loved beyond measure. And what a LIFE it was. There has never been, and never will be, another quite like Sandy, remembered by those closest to her as a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and icon.

Her family thanks all of those who loved her at the Renaissance on Peachtree for their kindness, love, and attention to her during her final days of life. In lieu of a formal funeral or memorial service, Sandy requested that her children and grandchildren take a private trip together to celebrate her life and share memories.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Clara, her sister Claudine, and her husbands, Max Rothfield and Bert Jackson. She is survived by her daughters, Mindy Rothfield Wardlaw and Cara Rothfield Abramson, and her husband Peter, as well as grandchildren Caitlin Wardlaw-Post (Mathew), Max Abramson (Holly), Meagan Wardlaw, Micah Abramson, great grand-daughter Montana, and her Brother, Clarence Hashagen and wife Ginger. In lieu of any flowers a donation was requested to be made to: CASA Children Advocate Network at nationalcasagal.org or Zaban Paradies Center at zabanparadiescenter.org