Jean Schwind

MARY REGINA (JEAN) SCHWIND

On August 6, 2024, Mary Regina (nee Iglehart) Schwind passed away peacefully at the age of 83. 

Jean was born and raised in Baltimore, the oldest of three daughters.  She gained a love of the outdoors at an early age, a love that filled and inspired her entire life.  She was blessed with two devoted parents, the late Bob and Jean (nee Gonce) Iglehart, and two sisters, JoAnn Iglehart and the late Barbara Iglehart.  

Jean graduated from the Blessed Sacrament School in 1954 and the Institute of Notre Dame in 1959 before getting married in 1961.  Several years and children later, she and her husband Paul moved to a rancher in the woods in Forest Hill, Maryland.  She eventually had four children, the late Paul Schwind, Jr., Steven Schwind (Robin), Gregg Schwind, and Kate Schwind-Boone (Anthony).  She lived in her Forest Hill home for over 50 years before moving into a senior living facility in late 2021.  Her house was her personal park and sanctuary, offering hours of quiet enjoyment on the deck, with friends out back on the patio, and hiking though pine forests to nearby streams.  The azaleas in spring and the leaves in fall were spectacular.  In the house, she was a master of old school pot roast and lentil soup with ham.  She lived for soups.  As her parents got older, she hosted the extended family for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at her house in the 1990s and 2000s.

Jeanie earned her nursing degree in 1976 from Harford Community College.  She would go on to become a career registered nurse, caring for and comforting residents of Stella Maris, Brightwood, and the School Sisters of Notre Dame Mother House at Villa Assumpta.  After years of part-time courses, she realized her dream of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Towson University in the early 1980s.  She was a life-long traveler with friends and family to places where she could discover and enjoy nature, from Glacier National Park in the west to the Maine coast in the east.  There were countless beautiful sunrises and sunsets, challenging hikes and waterfalls, panoramic overlooks and endless beaches.  She had a deep love of music, ranging from classical to Neil Diamond, from opera to the Eagles.  In retirement, she even developed an aptitude for writing poetry.  And she always made time for the grandchildren, teaching them games like Upwords, Yahtzee, Parcheesi, and Scrabble during many a sleepover.  The past several years were more and more difficult for Jean as her health declined. 

In addition to her sister JoAnn, Jean is survived by three children, 10 grandchildren, as well as three great-grandchildren, so many of whom carry with them her love of nature.  Jean will be missed deeply by her family and everyone she touched.

      Family requests relatives and friends visit the family owned Gonce Funeral Service P.A. 4001 Ritchie highway on Thursday August 15th from 6 to 9 PM.  In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the School Sisters of Notre Dame or the Sierra Club. 

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