Joan A. Schellinger

Joan A. Schellinger was many things — a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a volunteer — and will be remembered as a woman who cared deeply about her family, letting them know they were at the center of her life, they said.

A native of Bridgehampton who lived in Springs for many years, Mrs. Schellinger died on Aug. 30 at Southampton Hospital, surrounded by her family. She was 78 and had cancer.

Born to Chester and Julia Lewandowski in Bridgehampton on April 5, 1936, she graduated from the Bridgehampton School with high honors, receiving an award for an essay about the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Shortly thereafter, in 1954, she married Stanley Schellinger, who went by Pep. They raised their four children in Springs. He died in August 2011. On Sept. 5, the couple would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Schellinger was fond of bingo, scratch-off lottery tickets, crossword puzzles, card games, yard work, and comedy TV shows, and had a deep appreciation for nature. As a young adult, she chaperoned field trips and helped with Girl Scout meetings, and enjoyed watching the various sports played by her children and grandchildren.

She volunteered at the blood drive in Amagansett for more than 25 years and at the East Hampton Healthcare Center, where she was a familiar and welcoming face.

Mrs. Schellinger is survived by her children, Charles Schellinger and Yvonne Wood of Springs, Evelyn Shields of Amagansett, and Wendy Schwob of Vero Beach, Fla. Seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren also survive her, and she leaves three siblings: Eleanor Weber of Connecticut, Marsha Weaver of Florida, and Leon Lewandowski of Colorado.

The family has suggested donations in her name to the Springs Fire Department Ambulance Fund, 179 Fort Pond Boulevard, East Hampton 11937, or the East Hampton blood drive, which is run through American Legion Post 419 at 15 Montauk Highway, Amagansett 11930.