EL PASO - Joan Frances Warden Schuster, 87, was born January 2, 1933 in El Paso, Texas. She passed peacefully to her heavenly home on January 19, 2020 and is now with her Savior, Jesus Christ. She was a lifelong resident of El Paso and a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend.
Joan was a baptized and raised at the Church of St. Clement. She and her husband, Leo, were early members of St. Francis on the Hill. Through the years, Joan served on the Altar Guild and in many other ways in each church. She was active at St. Clement’s Parish School while her children attended there. Her Christian faith was very important to her.
Joan attended The College of Mines in El Paso and The University of Texas at Austin. She was a stewardess for Continental Airlines for 6 years and became the supervisor of the home office in Houston before retiring. She was always active in the El Paso community, happily serving and volunteering in many capacities. Joan would say, though, that her greatest role was as wife, mother, and friend. She loved her home and all that took place there. Her garden was a special comfort to her in these last months.
Joan is known by all for her genuine kindness, thoughtfulness and compassion. She was a friend to all. She had the unique ability of making a person feel truly special. She showed tremendous courage, patience, resilience, grace, and gratitude during her most difficult days recently. Always grateful, she trusted her Lord to guide her through each day.
She is preceded in death by her beloved parents Irene Kramer Warden and John William Warden, Jr.
Joan is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Leo R. Schuster, Jr., their beloved dog of 7 years, Lily; three children, Karen Stephens (Riley), Sally Schuster, and Leo R. Schuster III (Ellen), two step-children, Christine Khemis (Abel), and Andrew Schuster; nine grandchildren: Benjamin Stephens (Amy), David Stephens (Rachel), Katherine Stephens, Nathan Nahmias, Jonathan Nahmias (Madelene), Preston Nahmias, Anna West (Luke), Margaret Magness (Jay), and Mary Caroline Schuster, and her great granddaughter, Margot Riley Stephens.
Her family wishes to recognize and express their deepest gratitude to Dr. Arianna Bender and her wonderful staff, Dr. Barbara Reeves and Lauren Alvarez with Hospice El Paso; Dr. Jianjun Gao, and Dr. Jianbo Wang, of MD Anderson; and to her valued caregivers in Houston: Mary Finnell, Dee Gibson, Mabel Aknigbe, Nicole Hunter, and Reyna Rodrigues; to her beloved caregivers in El Paso: Blanca Portillo, Celia Sosa, Lourdes Polar, Maria Barios, Carmen Villa, and Hilda Espinoza; to Linda Black for helping in so many ways, to Kelvin Green for helping Joan get strong again so that she could enjoy these last eight months, and to Georgina Castillo and Bob Escobedo for taking such good care of the Schuster home for so many years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Church of St. Clement or to St. Clement’s Parish School.
Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 25 at 10:30 a.m. in the Church of St. Clement, 810 N. Campbell St., El Paso, Texas 79902 with the Reverends Rick Milliorn, Ronald R. Thomson, and Leo R. Schuster III officiating. Services entrusted to Martin Funeral Home West www.martinfuneralhomewest.com
