Joan Mae Sheehy passed away Feb. 11 after a long and blessed life of 90 years.
Joan was born on May 5, 1935, at home in Oconto Falls to Gottlieb and Emma (Freitag) Tisch.
After graduating from Oconto Falls High School in 1953, she attended Wisconsin State College, Oshkosh, graduating in 1957.
Joan started her teaching career in 1957 as a physical education teacher at Pulaski High School in Pulaski and continued her career at Grafton High School in Grafton before returning to teach at Pulaski High School once more.
It was in Pulaski where she met a fellow teacher, John Sheehy, whom she would marry June 11, 1962.
They celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary in 2023.
After the birth of their son Jonathan in 1963, John and Joan relocated often.
The first stop was Madison, where their son Frederic was born in 1967. Then it was off to Aspen, Colorado, where John was principal of Aspen High School.
They returned to Wisconsin in 1969 where they settled in West Bend. While in West Bend, Joan taught adult basic education and ESL classes at Moraine Park Technical College.
The family moved to Oshkosh in 1979, when John accepted the position of principal at Oshkosh West High School.
Joan was the restorative exercise coordinator at Evergreen Manor in Oshkosh. She also taught adult exercise classes for many years and served as a seminar coordinator for the Wisconsin State Bar Association, retiring in 2012.
Joan was a natural athlete and often bemoaned the fact that girls athletics during her high school and college years did not have the support that they do today. She especially enjoyed the Wisconsin State Basketball Tournament and was delighted to see the athleticism displayed by the young ladies who were fortunate to enough to be able to compete at the highest level.
She enjoyed swimming, tennis and golfed at Westhaven in the Thursday Women’s league for many years. Even a knee replacement couldn’t keep her off of the golf course.
She loved to watch Packers and Badgers football and high school and collegiate basketball.
Joan was a member of AAUW and served as chairwoman of their annual book drive for many years.
In retirement, Joan and John enjoyed traveling, and enjoyed staying in elder hostels around the world.
They spent many winters in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where they met new friends among the large contingent of Wisconsin snowbirds that traveled there each year.
She was a member of both St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church and All Saints Lutheran Church of Oshkosh, and made many good friends among the members of her Bible study group.
Joan is survived by her sons, Jonathan and Frederic (Anne) of Woodbridge, Virginia.
Also surviving are her grandchildren, Madylin Sheehy, Grace Sheehy and Cooper Sheehy; step-granddaughter, Kelly (Enzo) Diomeda; and her step-great-grandson, Gianni.
She is survived by her brother, Norland “Buddy” Tisch; and her sister, Colleen (Ken) Marcussen; and many cousins and nieces and nephews. She will especially be missed by her niece, Susan (Roger) Paulson, and nephews, Scott (Sheri) Krueger and Mark (Glenda) Krueger.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents; her brother, Allen Tisch; and sister, Mavis Dickerson, and sister and best friend, Lorraine Krueger.
The family would like to thank the Evergreen Garden Heights nursing staff for the excellent care that she received while living there.
A farewell celebration will be held at a later date.
