SCHUBERT, Joan M. (nee Ireland), 87, of Wellesley, MA, and formerly of Greenwich, CT, passed away unexpectedly on August 26, 2016 of natural causes.
Born Sept. 12, 1928 in New York, NY and raised in Riverdale, New York. She was the daughter of John M. and Amelia Ireland, and attended the College of New Rochelle.
Loving mother of Nancy Dunlap of Houston, TX, Robert Schubert and his wife Kate of Devon, PA, and Cynthia Westerman and her husband Bill of Wellesley, MA. Grandmother of Charlie (Jodie) Dunlap of London, England and Trevor (Randi) Dunlap of Virginia Beach, VA and Reed Westerman of Houston, TX, and Todd and Scott Westerman of Wellesley, MA. Great grandmother to Teddy Dunlap in London, England. Sister of Elizabeth Ferguson of Monsey, NY and the late Carolyn Broome and John Ireland Jr. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews.
Joan enjoyed life and made friends everywhere she went. While Joan considered Greenwich, CT home base for more than 30 years she did venture out to live for several years in Paris, France and Milan, Italy educating her younger children there. Returning to Greenwich she became active in local politics. Her annual highlight was preparing tax returns for the elderly at the Senior Citizen Center. During the rest of the year she enjoyed travel adventures throughout the world.
In 1993 Joan moved to Wellesley to be near her growing family. It is no surprise that she successfully restarted life in her new community. She became a leader of the Wellesley Garden Club and a volunteer at the Wellesley Free Library, and a director of the Wellesley Green homeowner’s association. She also appreciated auditing courses at Wellesley College.
Not quite one year ago Joan made a successful transition to Waterstone Assisted Living in Wellesley where she continued to enjoy an active life, including current events and exercise classes, and a stellar bingo run!
Joan’s two greatest loves were her five grandsons – and now one great grandson – and her gardening. Until natural aging made kneeling less enjoyable she loved to weed the garden at her daughter’s home and maintain multiple local community gardens.
Joan will be missed by her family and by all those who had the good fortune to know her or just to run into her by chance.
Relatives and friends are warmly invited to a Funeral Mass at 10am on Friday, September 2 in St Paul’s Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley. Visiting hours beforehand from 8:30-9:30am across the street at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., Wellesley. All are welcome to celebrate Joan’s life at a luncheon reception immediately following the funeral mass. In lieu of funerary flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Joan’s memory to the Wellesley Garden Club, PO Box 81022, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481.