JOANNE KNUDSEN

Joanne Marie (Seiberling) Knudsen, age 77, passed away unexpectedly on May 11, 2020. She was born July 31, 1942 in Wadsworth, Ohio. Joanne was the daughter of the late Francis and Julia (Lehman) Seiberling, and the stepdaughter of the late Laura (Chatfield) Seiberling. Joanne’s natural mother Julia passed away when she was only six, she was blessed to be raised and nurtured by two wonderful women.

Joanne was a loving wife and partner, an attentive daughter, an adoring aunt, a grateful niece, a happy-to-be-a-part-of-a-family sister-in-law, a proud cousin, a good neighbor, a dedicated teacher, a tireless volunteer, a good friend, and a committed member of her church family. Joanne was all those things and more, but most importantly, she was good to everyone.

Joanne grew up in Norton, OH. Two of her fondest childhood memories were playing in the barn with her cousins at the farm where her dad and uncle operated C.E. Seiberling Dairy, and helping her dad wash out the milk bottles that he would later fill and deliver to his neighborhood customers.

Joanne graduated from Norton High School and went on to Wittenberg University to get her degree in education. She began her teaching career in Wadsworth, teaching third grade at the old Franklin Elementary School. After teaching for five years in Wadsworth, she returned to her Norton roots to teach Title I/Special Reading. Over the 27 years Joanne taught in Norton, she spent time in all the different Norton elementary buildings. She took great pride in helping her at-risk students become better readers and become more successful in school. She retired from teaching in 1996, with 32 years of service.

Joanne was preceded in death by her three parents. She leaves behind to cherish her memory her loving husband of 43 years, Lloyd, several aunts, many cousins, nieces, and nephews and two brothers & sisters-in-law.

Joanne met her husband, Lloyd, in 1975 when he happened to be chipping golf balls in the backyard with the husband of Joanne’s closest friend, Barb, when the ladies were returning from a shopping trip. It was Barb who suggested that the four of them could go out together some time. Joanne and Lloyd were married in 1976.

For the first ten years of their marriage they lived in Norton. Then, in 1986, Joanne and Lloyd built her dream log house on a hill surrounded by trees in Sharon Center. Joanne loved her home, and its secluded setting, for 33 years. Joanne enjoyed many things, especially her big garden. She canned and froze lots of produce each year, just like her mother, Laura, taught her to do. She loved planting flowers and keeping everything looking nice in her flower beds. Joanne even liked to get on the lawn mower and help Lloyd mow their lawn. Joanne would start mowing the back yard and Lloyd would start mowing the front. When they got close to one another she would stick out her tongue at him and they would both laugh. Maybe because she taught reading to little kids every day, she didn’t read many books, just some of those trashy romance novels, and all her monthly women’s magazines. Joanne joked that her TV only got sports, but she did manage to record her soap opera, General Hospital, every day. She was a regular watcher of The Bachelor series and American Idol, and she loved those Hallmark movies and their happy endings. Joanne also enjoyed an occasional gambling trip. She liked to play the slots and talked fondly of the out-of-state gambling trips they took with her brother & sister-in-law. This same brother-in-law, who for over 40 years, lovingly called her Ralph. He loved to torment her, and she loved it too. Joanne treasured her many friends in the Sharon Women’s Club, and faithfully attended their monthly meetings. Also, when she was able to, she always looked forward to her bi-monthly luncheons and field trips with her retired Norton teaching friends, who named themselves the NERTS. Until this year, Joanne was the longtime reservations person for the monthly luncheon meetings of the Medina County Retired Teachers Association (MCRTA). For the past several years Joanne and Lloyd have been heavily involved in the Sharing Center (food pantry) at their church, St. Paul Lutheran in Sharon Center. Joanne ordered the food from the Akron Canton Regional Foodbank and coordinated the delivery and receiving of the order at St. Paul.

Joanne’s greatest passion over the last 40 years has been her dogs. Since that first stray dog, a border collie named Peppy, came into their yard in Norton, Joanne has had a dog, or sometimes two. Somehow, Joanne fell in love with the Sheltie breed. All of her dogs after Peppy were Shelties. Those lucky dogs were: Abbey Ann, Casey, Toby, and Danny Boy. Joanne’s dogs didn’t go to the groomer, they went down to the stationary tub in the basement to get bathed, and combed, and groomed by her. When Joanne would get together with friends they would pass around pictures of their grandkids, and Joanne would pass around dog pictures. Those dogs had the best “mom” in the world.

Being dog lovers, when Lloyd retired in 2003, they began volunteering in fundraising for the Medina County SPCA. Joanne soon went from volunteer to Chairperson of Selling Entertainment Books, coordinator of volunteers to staff the SPCA’s Medina County Fair parking, as well as many other events. Joanne later served as the co-chair of the overall SPCA Fundraising Committee. Even up until today, Joanne and Lloyd still co-chaired the Annual SPCA Night at the Races event. About three years ago Joanne’s life started to change dramatically. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, and she started losing her balance and her ability to walk safely. Soon she was using a walker to get around. Joanne still helped operate the church’s food pantry, but that too became increasingly more difficult. Last year Joanne and Lloyd decided they had to give up their two-story home to accommodate Joanne’s Parkinson’s, and in August they moved into an independent living apartment at Concordia at Sumner in Copley. They missed their home and property, but Concordia provided them with a whole new set of friends.

Ever the animal lovers, the day before Joanne’s death they agreed to go to the SPCA soon and rescue a cat, because they could no longer care for another dog. Joanne wanted a lap cat (not a hide under the bed cat), she wanted a cat (not a kitten), she wanted a short haired cat ( so that they were not forever picking up hair), and she wanted a female cat (not a messy boy). Joanne truly loved happy endings, and Lloyd has promised her he will have a cat. And that short haired, female, non-kitten, lap cat will be named in her honor – she will be named Ralph. In keeping with Joanne’s wishes, cremation has taken place. Her care has been entrusted to Carlson Funeral Homes & Cremation Services, 3477 Medina Road, Medina, OH 44256. A celebration of Joanne’s life will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to Medina County SPCA, 8790 Guilford Road, Seville, OH 44273; http://medinacountyspca.com/get-involved/ ; NEOSSR (Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue), 68 W. Case Dr., Hudson, OH 44236; https://www.neossr.org/ ; or St. Paul Lutheran Church, Sharing Center Donation (written in the memo line of the check) P.O. Box 120, Sharon Center, OH 44274.