Clarisse Emily Steeg Schleichardt

1923 - 2024

Clarisse Emily Steeg Schleichardt passed away peacefully on July 13, 2024 at the age of 100. She was born in New Orleans on August 14, 1923 to the late Jacob Steeg and Anna Louise Rohlin Steeg. She led a remarkable life of service in the fields of healthcare and special education. A graduate of Eleanor McMain High School, she was declared a "Mental Marvel" at age 14 for her ability to remember and recite 100 words in a sequence using keywords. She graduated in 1943 from Newcomb with a B.S. in Biology and Minor in Chemistry. Passionate about the field of medicine, she pursued a career in medical technology with the Louisiana State Board of Health. Clarisse was an avid traveler in her youth and vacationed in Boston and Chicago. She met her future husband, Frederick J. "Fred" Schleichardt Jr., in New Orleans, and they married in 1950, living in the Uptown area. For a time, she worked in the lab at the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital. Their oldest daughter, Jane, was born in 1952. The family then moved to Knoxville, TN for several years where Fred pursued his career and their second daughter, Julie, was born. In 1958, the family returned and settled in Metairie to welcome their third daughter, Jennifer. As a mother of three and given the long hours and difficult schedules required in the field of medical technology, Clarisse took a teaching position in Special Education at Lakeside School. She taught for over 30 years in Jefferson Parish at both Lakeside and Rudolph Matas Schools. She continued her education at the University of New Orleans, earning her teaching certification as well as a Master's degree in Education (Supervision and Administration specialization) and 30 additional credit hours over a Masters. At the age of 69, she retired from full-time teaching and again pursued her medical interests as a volunteer at East Jefferson General Hospital for over 25 years. She worked in the Emergency Room as well as Same Day Services and Surgery and greatly enjoyed interacting with medical professionals. Clarisse also served as a volunteer tutor for the STAIR (Start the Adventure in Reading) program for 7 years and managed a local STAIR site for three years. She was a long-time parishioner of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Metairie. She is preceded in death by her parents, her three siblings: Clarence, Waldorf "Wally", and Jacklyn "Jackie", as well as her husband, Fred. She is survived by her three daughters, Jane S. Brooks (Walter), Julie Schleichardt, and Jennifer Andersen (David). Clarisse is the grandmother of Lauren Madeline Brooks, Courtney Claire Brooks (Rey Quevedo), Justine Emily Andersen, and Ethan Frederick Andersen (Remy). She is the great-grandmother of Graham Walton Quevedo and Anders William Quevedo. A private funeral service and interment was held at Hope Mausoleum. If you wish to provide a memorial, please consider a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank at givetoday@no-hunger.org.