Joan Schlank

Joan Blackett Schlank, Pioneering Real Estate Broker, Dies at 90.

Joan Blackett Schlank, passed away peacefully on December 8th, 2024, at her home in Hermosa Beach, California. Joan, helped shape the landscape of Manhattan's Upper West Side through decades in New York real estate. She also was known for her deep appreciation of the arts. Although she was a New Yorker at heart, she relocated to California in 2018 to be near her daughter.

Born Joan Mae Blackett, on July 12, 1934 in Delmar, New York to Edith and Harold Blackett, Joan attended Bethlehem Central High School, Cornell University and Boston University. She spent most of her adult life on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Her first job was at Fairchild Publications. In 1960, she married Colgan Schlank of New York. Although they divorced, they maintained a long friendship until his death in 2006.

In the 1980s, Joan established herself as a trailblazer in New York City's real estate community, by founding one of the few woman-led brokerages of the time, Joan Blackett Schlank Real Estate Inc. Her deep understanding of the Upper West Side's unique character and potential helped countless families find homes and contributed to the neighborhoods transformation during a pivotal period.

Throughout her life, she maintained a passionate connection to the arts, frequently attending performances at Lincoln Center and supporting various cultural institutions. She especially valued her time with the dance group known as "The Mob," led by the late dancer and photographer Carrie d'Amboise (wife of the late dancer and choreographer Jacques d'Amboise of The New York City Ballet). Joan spent decades dancing and traveling with members of The Mob, which was a tight-knit, adventurous crew.

Joan enjoyed many summers with family and friends at their home in Saltaire, Fire Island and then in Wainscott, New York. Her connection to Wainscott lives on as she will be memorialized there at the Wainscott Cemetery, according to her wishes.

Joan is survived by her daughter Christina Blackett Schlank and son-in-law Steven Marshall Gaffney; her son Christopher Colgan Schlank and daughter-in-law Amy Zhen; six grand children: Myles and Chase Gaffney, and Johnny, Julia, Luke and Avery Schlank; her former sister-in-law, Regina Pyle of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and her beloved dog Lulu.

Joan was know for her fierce love for her children and grandchildren, her sense of justice, kindness to those in need, and for always speaking her mind. Those who came in contact with her, even those who received her unvarnished truth, ultimately came to respect her straightforward approach to life. She was a memorable human being and a force of nature. She will be missed.