Joan Therese (Nutting) Schleinitz, 90, of Albany
Joan Therese (Nutting) Schleinitz, 90, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 17, 2018, after a long illness, surrounded by her beloved family.
Born Dec. 1, 1927, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Joan grew up in Flatbush. She was the daughter of the late Henry Nutting and Grace Leiser Nutting, and daughter-in-law of the late Elizabeth Windrum Schleinitz. Joan attended St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic School in Brooklyn, and attended high school in Peru, Indiana, after her father was transferred there during World War II. She remembered her high school years in Peru fondly, especially playing the French horn in the band, and working on the high school yearbook. She attended numerous class reunions, the last being her 65th in 2010, which she traveled to with her daughters. She returned to Brooklyn after attending business college, and worked for National Distillers in Manhattan, where she made lifelong friends. In 1952, she married Robert (Bob) Schleinitz, and they enjoyed 55 happy years together until his death in 2007. In 1968, Joan and Bob moved their family of six upstate to Kingston, N.Y., to enjoy a more rural setting in which to raise their children. Joan retired from the Kingston City School District after many years as a teacher’s aide for remedial reading, and Joan and Bob moved to the Albany area to be closer to their grandchildren. Joan and Bob enjoyed attending all of their grandchildren’s school and sporting events, and worked together to build intricate doll houses for their granddaughters. Joan was very talented at needlepoint, and friends and family still enjoy her lovely work. Grandma Joan’s brownies were legendary and always a part of every celebration. Friends and family looked forward to hearing from her every Christmas with her annual card with the picture of her surrounded by her grandchildren, and everyone appreciated how thoughtful she was in always remembering birthdays of family and friends with a card; she was exceptional at keeping in touch. Joan was predeceased by her parents and husband, as well as her older brother, Henry Jr. and her younger brother, Jack. Beloved mom, grandma, and greatgrandma “YaYa,” Joan is survived by her children, Margaret (Peg) Callaway and her husband Rob of Albany and their children Christine Wilson-Smith (Matthew Smith), Rebecca Wilson (Nick Vadalabene) and Patrick Callaway (Katie McKenna); Diane Gerry and her husband John of Delmar and their daughter Grace Johnson (Jared); Joan Blair and her husband Tom of Voorheesville and their children Tom, Jillian, and Mary; and her son, Robert and his wife Teri of Tenino, Wash., and their children Justin Crosby (Jessica) and Ian Schleinitz. She is survived by her great-grandchildren, Bryson and Mackenzie Wilson-Smith, Jameson Johnson, Logan Dempsey, Liam, Emma and Eli Crosby, and Sam Callaway; her newest great-grandchild, a boy, is due in August. She is also survived by her brother, Jerry Nutting; her sister, Maureen O’Donnell; her sisters-inlaw, Ann Marie Ford and Betty Schleinitz; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff of Teresian House and the Carmelite Sisters, and especially the wonderful staff on 3B for their compassionate care of Mom during the last three years of her life.
Relatives and friends are invited to call on Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. A funeral service will be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. at the parish of Mater Christi in Albany. Burial will follow immediately at Calvary Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made in Joan’s name to the Teresian House Foundation, 200 Washington Avenue Ext., Albany, N.Y. 12203, or to Alzheimer’s Association, Northeastern New York Chapter, 4 Pine West Plaza, Suite 405, Albany, N.Y. 12205. (www.applebeefuneralhome.com)