Joyce Mende Tschantre
MILFORD - Joyce Mende Tschantre passed away surrounded by her family on Sunday, June 29, 2014 at the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford. She was 80.
Joyce was born in Cambridge, Maryland on November 26, 1933, daughter of the late Gustav Mende and Laura Cox Mende.
While a student at Cambridge High School, she was employed part time at Leggett Department Store, and waitressed at the Rose Hill and Oakley Beach Hotel. She graduated in 1951 and worked in a lawyer's office during the summer.
Prior to attending nursing school, Joyce met Leon Emile Tschantre while he was home from overseas leave in the Army. She entered Eastern Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in the fall of 1951, and graduated in the summer of 1954. She passed state boards in August of that year, becoming a registered nurse.
Joyce started her nursing career in the Labor and Delivery Dept of Cambridge Hospital and later moved to the Medical Services floor for Women.
She moved to Milford in 1959, and continued her nursing career working for Dr. Avizonis, Opthomologist, part time while raising her two children. After briefly working as a private duty nurse, she accepted a nursing position at Milford Memorial Hospital, beginning on the medical surgical floor and then in the Coronary Care Unit. Joyce was promoted to Head Nurse for the Coronary Unit and ultimately Head Nurse for both the Coronary and Intensive Care Units. After 17 years in critical care, she moved to home health and later, working with a lawyer, developed the Risk Management program. She retired in 1995 after 26 years of service at the hospital.
Joyce and Leon have been members of the Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford for over 50 years, Joyce being a member and past leader of the Naomi Circle and a member of the United Methodist Women.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers.
Joyce is survived by her husband of 60 years, Leon E. Tschantre; a daughter, Joanne Tschantre Hyatt and her husband Tommy of Little Rock, Arkansas; a son, Leon Eric Tschantre and his wife Barbara of Pottstown, PA; four grand-children; Lisa Michele Sehika, Steven Eric Goines, Jason Eric Tschantre, and Kathryn Laura Tschantre, and eight great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, 2014, at the Avenue United Methodist Church, 20 N. Church St, Milford, where friends may call after 9:00 a.m. A luncheon will be served in the church fellowship hall from 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Burial will follow the luncheon at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Cambridge.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorial contributions to Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE, 19963, or Alzheimer's Assoc, Sussex Chapter, P.O. Box 625, Georgetown, DE, 19947.
(06/30/14)