Joan Lucile Schweitzer

1935 - 2020

Joan Lucile Shuhart Schweitzer, 84, beloved wife of Hugh, went to Heaven on Sunday, August 23, 2020. Joan was born September 2, 1935 in Valley Forge, PA, to Lucile (O'Donnell) and John H. Shuhart. A graduate of Bailey-Ellard High School (1953), and Caldwell College for Women (1957), she married Hugh in August 1957. Joan retired in 2000 after years of devoted teaching service at St. Thomas the Apostle school. Joan's world revolved around her family and cooking at her home on the Boulevard for almost 50 years. She was a self-taught piano and organ player who never missed a chance for laughter and humor. She took her carpe-diem philosophy on many shopping adventures and trips to their cabin in Sandisfield. As if she weren't busy enough as a mother of six spirited children, including loving care of their special needs daughter Patty, she attended daily 6:30am mass, served as a den mother, a Girl Scout leader, meals on wheels, STA women's club and altar guild. From childhood, Joan was an avid baseball fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and later the Boston Red Sox. One of Joan's passions was travel, inspired from a young age. While she grew up in Morris Plains, NJ, she had visited most of the then-48 states, Cuba, Canada and Mexico before the age of 5. Highlight trips included a honeymoon in Bermuda with her sweet Hugh, milestone anniversary trips to Bermuda and Ireland, a retirement trip to Turkey and Greece, and other adventures to Japan, England, Costa Rica and Italy, including mass in Rome with Pope John Paul II. Many other family adventures throughout North America were shared with the whole gang. Joan is preceded in death by her daughter Patty, and is survived by her husband of 63 years, Hugh; sister Kathy Lanterman of PA; 5 children: Joanie (Karl) of CA, Hugh (Becca) of CT, Susan (Kirk) of CT, Mary Lu (Jebbie) of MD, Kristen (Jason) of CA; and 7 grandchildren: Natalie, Max, Evan, Clara, Adam, Vivien and Bennett; cousins, nieces, nephews, and many dear friends. Calling hours at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford from 4-7pm, Tuesday, August 25. Funeral Mass 10am Wednesday, August 26 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 872 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Burial immediately following at Fairview Cemetery. Memorial donations to St. Thomas the Apostle School, 25 Dover Rd, West Hartford, CT 06119. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com Joan's family expresses their sincere thanks and gratitude to the staff of loving professionals at Avery Heights, including Kristen, Susan and Cheryl, among so many others.