Eleanor ("Jeanne") Jean Schulze

Eleanor J Schulze “Jeanne”, beloved wife of Dirk A. Schulze for 60, almost 61 years passed away June 19, 2022.

Born in Columbia, PA, she was the daughter of Joseph B Reisinger and Eleanor J Shortlidge. Jeanne attended Lancaster Catholic High School class of 1955, then St. Joseph’s Nursing School in Lancaster, PA, graduating with honors in 1958. Her score on the state boards for her nursing license was 3rd highest in the state that year.

Deciding that she was not content to stay home she joined the Air Force nursing program as a 2nd Lieutenant for a new life experience. In May of 1959 she was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas. She loved every minute of her time served. Being the only training base in the Air Force the ratio of women to men was laughable, 30,000 men and 300 women, most being officer professionals like her. She met Airman Basic Schulze in 1960. Of the 30,000 men he ranked 29,990 in the chain of command. She enjoyed arranging to meet with him in open areas on base, so he had to salute her when they met. For the fun of it, she snapped him to attention once when group officers were nearby.  They asked her if this airman was giving her a problem. The Airman, her future husband, was not happy about this. Payback came when she had to render a salute while walking and poked herself in the eye.  

Jeanne and Dirk Schulze were engaged April 6, 1960, about the time Gary Frances Powers U2 spy plane was shot down over Russia. A date that lives in family infamy, the engagement, not the spy plane. Jeanne was discharged from the service on Flag Day, June 14, 1961. Although she loved being in the service, her next duty assignment was going to be either Thule, Greenland, or Turkey. Her response to the service was, “if you can’t promote me and send me to a civilized place, I quit”. They said no and she quit.

Dirk and Jeanne were married September 23, 1961. They lived in Texas until Dirk completed his military commitment in 1963. In 1962 their first son, Gregory was born. She then moved back to the East Coast in 1963 for family support.  Throughout the remaining years, she would often say,” We should have stayed in Texas.”  This is because she loved the lifestyle there so much.

Assuming the role of housewife and mother, she set to work raising the children. Joseph was born in 1965 and Christopher in 1967. Jeanne’s guide to raising the boys was the carrot and stick approach. They will tell you there were few carrots but many sticks.

Now living in New Castle, Delaware and with her children, she decided to return to nursing in 1980. Starting her job at Wilmington General Hospital on March 30, 1980.  The day President Ronald Regan was shot. She was then assigned to Christiana Division in 1985 to help open the new hospital facility in Delaware. She retired from nursing in 1987 to spend more time with the family. She enjoyed her church, family, friends, playing the organ, book club, card club, and telling family stories. She saw the beginning and end of life.  She not only assisted at a birth, but she helped people transition in death.  She will be missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and grandson, Erich.

Eventually our family grew and today she is survived by sons, Gregory Schulze and his wife, Patricia Evans Schulze, Joseph Schulze and his wife, Jean Marie Paolillo, and Christopher Schulze and his wife, Christine.  Grandchildren, Taylor Scialo (Steve), Emilie Schulze and her fiancé, Blake Lovett, Erin Evans and her fiancé Anna Desmond, Kyle Schulze, Natalie Schulze, Rebecca Schulze and her fiancé, Cody Moore and Christopher Stephen Schulze and his partner Alyssa Dellangelo.  She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Sydney, and Clove.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend services on Wednesday, June 29th beginning with the viewing from 9 am to 10 am, the service will begin at 10 am. At the Daniels & Hutchison Funeral Home, 212 N. Broad St., Middletown, DE. Interment with military honors will follow in the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, DE.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Alzheimer Association, Chapter Headquarters
399 Market St., Suite 250, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Visit https://www.alz.org/