Hello my name is Shamrock, first grandbird. You may know me from my annual witty Christmas letter. Allow me to step up on my squawk box and tell you a little bit about a wonderful lady named Joan. Not – Jo-Ann… Don’t ever call her that. She’ll give you an ear-full. Her whole life people made that pronunciation mistake. Joan Elizabeth Plunkert was born on July 23, 1950, in Washington D.C., to her proud parents, John F. Plunkert and Barbara M. Plunkert. If she was anything like her own kids she was probably born late too, making people wait for her arrival. The family comprised her parents and her sisters Patricia, Lois and Barbara. Joan, also called Joanie by many, grew up in the Washington D.C. area and attended Catholic school as a child. She spoke fondly of the many beatings she received from the nuns. I’m sure none of them were earned -wink wink. After graduating high school, she attended Dunbarton College for 2 years then moving to Texas to attend St Edwards University in Austin, Texas, to finish her bachelor’s degree. She really was trying to get away from those nuns in D.C. I guess the nuns in Texas were nicer? While attending St Edwards University she met a man named Barry Schleicher who “Pinned” her after knowing her only 3 weeks. At that point she didn’t even know how to spell his last name. He proposed Marriage shortly after. What young lady would accept a marriage proposal made so hastily? I’ll tell you who, Mrs. Joan Schleicher, wife of Barry who were wed December 18th 1971.
The happily married couple moved to the Houston area and raised their 3 children, Barry John, known as BJ, Steven and Beth. Joan enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom while her children were young, but eventually she went into the workforce. She worked for Concord Insurance and AIG\Valic and retired in 2008.
As a mother Joan strived to teach her children right from wrong. There were times she could be hard on her kids, but she instilled good morals and values. Raising kids is hard and her own children were no exception. She was grateful once they were grown and married that they never returned to the nest, they knew better, each one self-sufficient. Oh, don’t even think about ending a sentence with a preposition.
As a young family, summer vacations were spent at “The Patch”, her parents summer home on the Patuxent River in Hollywood, Maryland. While there the family enjoyed various activities like going fishing, feeding the swans and attempting to splash all of the water out of the pool in spite of the protests from her parents. Let’s not forget about the many upon many crab feasts. I’ve heard about these little creatures, they sound delicious.
Through the years, Joan enjoyed telling her adult children about her childhood. How her parents always sent her to school even when sick. She had to be on death’s door to miss a day of school. She even broke her leg playing football in the street, in loafers, and was back at school the next day. Of course, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree because she did it with her own children and her daughter Beth has done it as well with her kids. It must be a strong inherited trait.
As a teenager she was given a brand new 1968 Pontiac Firebird which she nicknamed the Screaming Yellow Zonker. What was her dad thinking and what the heck is a Zonker? She loved that car. She got to and from school really fast. She learned to drive EVERY car or truck she ever owned like that car, even the convertible BMW that she nicknamed FRE TYM. She had a license plate made with that name to put on the car. She even wore down the sidewalls of her tires on the circular parking garage entrance ramps going up and down them as fast as she could. She instilled her lead foot into all 3 of her children even to the point where her son Steve met his wife in defensive driving class.
In 2005 Joan became a grandmother. Just one thing, don’t ever call her Grandma, NOOOooooo… Her grandkids called her Noanie. They knew better than to call her grandma. That would not end well for them.
She loved being a grandmother, taking her grandkids, spoiling them and then giving them back to their parents. She also took on the same tradition of her mother making the annual Christmas ornaments for the grandkids. She enjoyed spending time with Kaleb, Colton and Kinsley, spoiling them and hosting Sunday Dinners (or as she called it Sunday Circus). The kids enjoyed hundreds of sleep overs with movie nights and popcorn! She enjoyed bringing them into kitchen to make brownies and cookies and as the kids got older they would move up to meals like pork chops. She was always in search of an activity she could do with the kids that would cater to their individual interests. She and Barry even enjoyed a trip to Disney World with them. They had a wonderful time.
Joan lived life to the fullest and was the kind of person that would welcome you into her home offer you a drink and would spend all afternoon chatting with you. She loved hosting family gatherings. She always made an abundance of food and desserts. Her dining table was always perfectly decorated for every event and she was always appreciative when receiving compliments. She loved to cook and made many delicious meals in her kitchen. When you would go to her home you didn’t always know what she was serving, but you knew it was going to be good.
In early 2020, Joan was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer during a routine check-up. While undergoing treatment she was still able to do the things she wanted to do. Her and Barry went on multiple trips during this time. She didn’t let cancer stop her. For many she was an inspiration on how to live with cancer and not let the disease stop your life in it’s track. Even her oncologist, Dr. Vu, said she was an anomaly. She fought cancer as long as she could, but she passed away surrounded by family on December 26th 2022.
Preceded in death by her parents, Joan is survived by her husband Barry, son BJ Schleicher and wife, Gersende of Hollywood, Md., son Steven Schleicher and wife Melinda of Sugar Land, TX., daughter Beth and husband Daniel Sanders of Conroe, TX., grandchildren Kaleb, Colton and Kinsley Sanders of Conroe, TX.
Joan is also survived by her sisters, Patricia “Pat” Bontempo and husband, Armond of Diamondhead, MS., Lois Storch and husband, Jerry of Hollywood, MD., and Barbara Jones and husband, Jud of Little Rock, AR., along with numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
So allow me to step down from my squawk box for I have been on it far too long. In honor of Noanie, I am going to go enjoy a bowl of freshly popped popcorn since I can’t partake in any of her favorite alcoholic beverages. Much love to you all. - Shamrock
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