Obituary of Joan Marie Scholz

On Sunday, March 8, the world lost another beautiful life to early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She fought the disease with every ounce of her strength, but almost in contrast Joan, at age 64, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her beloved husband Brian and two daughters Heather and Amanda. Joan had a very unique and aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease, that required incredible compassion, understanding, wisdom and skill. We feel compelled to begin by thanking our real-life angels: caregivers Hanny Sparks, Denise Zamora and Laurie DeShields, for their unconditional love and impeccable care of Joan and her family. Without them, Joan would have been forced into a (nursing) facility, rather than living out her life in the home she dearly loved, receiving the one-on-one care she required and deserved. Joan was born in San Francisco, CA on July 10, 1950 and raised in Los Altos. The third of five children born to Rose and Richard Gros de Mange, she attended Saint Williams School, graduated from Holy Cross High School, and spent two years at Foothill College. While a sophomore in high school, Joan met her husband Brian, and they were married on May 1st, 1971, settling in Mountain View, CA. They were married for 43 years, living the last 28 years in Santa Cruz. To know Joan was to love her; her contagious laughter, beautiful soul and appreciation for life was second to none. When you spent time with Joan, you knew you were in the presence of someone truly amazing and that you would always have some fun times! She was happiest gardening and took great pride in her flowers and succulents. Joan loved bird watching and would often visit bird sanctuaries with her bird-book and binoculars in hand. If you ever wanted to know the name of a bird you saw, she could always tell you. At home, the back deck that she designed was adorned with bird feeders for the hummingbirds, sparrows, woodpeckers and even the hawks that visited her daily, all providing sweet bird songs intermingled with her wind chimes. She loved sitting on the deck and many good times were had there with family and friends. From pupus and lemon drops, to BBQs, birthday and anniversary celebrations, meteor shower parties and just quiet moments with her husband enjoying the twilight and each other. Some of Joan's happiest memories surrounded water. In high school, not only was she a lifeguard and swim instructor, she also taught synchronized swimming, including coordinating the yearly Aquacade Show for the city of Los Altos. She was an avid beach-comber and could spend hours on a beach searching for treasures: shells, sand dollars, sea glass, and finding the perfect heart-shaped rock was one of her greatest joys. A natural athlete, she enjoyed playing basketball, softball, soccer, tennis and volleyball, playing both softball and soccer into her 50's. Joan was born and raised a 49er faithful and loved the Giants and Sharks, too. Her Giants "boyfriend" Buster Posey was one of her favorites to watch on TV and she spent many a night at the "Shark Tank" cheering on the Sharks. Joan found great enjoyment in volunteering at her daughter's schools, especially chairing the Harbor High Pirates Club fundraising efforts. She never missed one of her daughter's games, whether it is was soccer, softball or volleyball, she was always on the sidelines cheering on their teams. She was the epitome of the soccer mom and spent endless hours driving her girls and their friends to practices and games, and always with a smile on her face and some great tunes on the radio. Another of Joan's great passions was music. She loved to go to shows, listen to music, sing and especially dance. If you have ever been on a dance floor with Joan, you were in the presence of the original "Pointer" and lots of "Woohoos!" She was also very creative, at times enjoying leather crafting, sewing and pique assiette. Joan was particularly fond of using her calligraphy skills, rubber stamps and stickers to create beautiful greeting cards and the like. If you ever received a card from Joan, you knew the effort she had put in to make you feel her love. Joan was preceded in death by her parents, sister Nancy, brother Richard and brother-in-law James. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Brian William Scholz; two daughters, Heather Scholz of Mountain View, Amanda Minsloff and her husband Andy of Santa Cruz; her sister Carol Williams and her husband David of Walnut Creek; Brother Brian Gros de Mange of San Jose; Brother-in-law John Ottoboni of Monte Sereno; life-long friend Pat Argo of Mountain View, CA; her Nieces: Cathy, Christa, Claire, Jane, Joan, Julie, Mary, Megan and Twila; her Nephews: Damon, Dylan, Michael, Sean, Townsend and Will; numerous Grand Nieces and Nephews, her cats Mia and Chase, her angelfish Prince, grand-dogs Charlie and Gypsy, and many other close and dear friends. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 17, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Santa Cruz Memorial, 1927 Ocean St. A Catholic Mass will be held on Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. at Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 515 Frederick St. A true celebration of Joan's life will follow the Mass at the Elk's Lodge, 150 Jewell St. from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m., We encourage everyone to wear colorful clothing in honor of Joan's fun-loving spirit. In passing, Joan is able to honor her last wish and has admirably donated her brain to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center to further Alzheimer's research. In life and death, Joan gave her all to help find a cure for this horrific disease. The family of Joan Scholz wishes to thank the Alzheimer's Association of Santa Cruz for their constant love and support and Santa Cruz Hospice for their compassion and support during such a difficult time. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association ℅ our dear friend, Anissa Novak at 1777 Capitola Rd #A, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 or at http://act.alz.org/goto/JoansMemorialFund. If you would like to send your condolences to Joan's family or share a memory please visit www.scmemorial.com