Joan Schenck

Joan Parsells Schenck of Diamondhead, MS died on November 30, 2022. She was born on July 10, 1933 in Rochester, NY, the only child of George and Helen Gartner Parsells. She graduated cum laude from Connecticut College for Women in New London, Connecticut in 1955 with a BA degree in mathematics. While in college, she was elected into membership of Phi Beta Kappa fraternity. In the summer of 1955, Joan married George Schenck in Rochester, NY and moved with him to Fort Wayne, IN where she worked for International Harvester as a computer programmer, and then to Newark, NJ, where she was employed as a programmer by the Curtis Wright Corporation. During the balance of her husband George’s 31-year career with General Electric Company, she was a stay-at-home mom and a “professional volunteer” with various youth organizations from Girl Scouting to high school bands, living in Bucyrus, Cleveland, Circleville, and Canfield in Ohio. Following retirement, George and Joan moved to Diamondhead in 1987. Joan is survived by her three daughters, Betsy J Gardner of Diamondhead, MS, Margaret Bell Fischer of Frederick, MD, and Barbara S Slucter and son-in-law Dale E Slucter of Richland, MI. Also three granddaughters Kristin Gardner of Diamondhead, MS, Alexandria Williamson of Gastonia, NC, and Catherine Slucter of Columbus, OH. Joan was an active member of the Diamondhead Community Church, serving as church treasurer from 1990 to 2014 and received the Women of the Church’s “Woman of the Year” award in 2000. She was a former member of the Diamondhead Garden Club and the Diamond Squares, and belonged to the Gulf Coast Bridge Association ACBL Unit 180 in Biloxi, where she also served as a club director and achieved the status of Bridge Life Master in 1992. Besides bridge, Joan’s hobbies included overseas travel, knitting and counted cross stitch, and spending time with her grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association. There will be a celebration of life ceremony in the summer of 2023 in Diamondhead, MS.