John Nash Schoenberger
July 24, 1937 - September 11, 2019
New Windsor, NY
John Nash Schoenberger of New Windsor, a retired teacher and coach, and a gifted lifelong athlete, passed away on September 11, 2019. He was 82.
Son of Charles and Ann (Nash) Schoenberger, he was born in Cornwall, NY, on July 24, 1937, and lived in Newburgh and New Windsor for most of his life. He played varsity baseball, basketball and track at Newburgh Free Academy, graduating in 1955 and heading to Manhattan College on a four-year baseball scholarship. A proud Manhattan Jasper, John won the New York State batting title in 1958 with a remarkable .421 average, and earned varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and track. In 2000, he was inducted into Manhattan College's Sports Hall of Fame.
Signed by the Baltimore Orioles as a college senior, John played for minor leagues teams in Bluefield, West Virginia; Leesburg, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; and Raleigh, North Carolina, before injuries ended a promising baseball career.
John then taught school for 30 years, mainly in Tuxedo, NY. He also coached varsity soccer, basketball, and baseball for Tuxedo's George F. Baker High School, and coached the Newburgh Nuclears American Legion baseball team to a state championship in 1963. He earned his M.A. in Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz and won three National Science Foundation grants to advance science education. While a young teacher in the 1960s, he also served in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserves.
He was a longtime member of the Optimist Club and a devoted tennis player with a sneaky drop shot. He went to the gym almost daily well into his 70s and threw perfect spirals at the family's annual Turkey Bowl games. He did multiple crossword puzzles every day, only occasionally looking up the answers, and was a dedicated fan of the New York Yankees.
John met his wife Joyce at Newburgh Free Academy, and on September 10, they celebrated their 59th anniversary. He was a kind and loving father and grandfather who will be greatly missed.
In addition to Joyce, he is survived by four children: his three daughters: Mary Ann and her husband, Darrick, Susan and her husband, Kevin and Nancy (King) and her husband, Chris; and son, John Jr.; as well as his seven cherished grandchildren: AJ, Sam, Christopher, Bridget, Jenna, Claire, and Matthew. He is also survived by his brother, Fred and his wife, Nora, along with four nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 14, at the Doulin Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:45 a.m. at Saint Joseph Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to (), Manhattan College (www.manhattan.edu), or the .
|
Published in Times Herald-Record from Sept. 12 to Sept. 13, 2019
|
