Sharon Deitering

Sharon Lynn Schenk Deitering, 63, of Route 22 B, passed away unexpectedly, Wednesday December 19, 2012 at her home. Sharon was born October 4, 1949 in Glens Falls, NY to Robert and Stella Schenk. She traveled throughout her childhood with her 4 siblings, in New York, Tennessee, South Carolina, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. She received her BS in Education at Southern Connecticut State University, and began her first teaching job soon after. She married, moved to Virginia, and had her daughter, Larissa. After moving to the Midwest and spending 8 years there to be near extended family, she moved on to Upstate New York. There she obtained her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, and attended Plattsburgh State at the same time as her daughter. (Who would have ever predicted the most fun class in grad school would be the one she attended with her daughter, sitting in the back, and laughing together!) She initiated an Art program at ARC and went on to hold classes there for almost 10 years. She taught 3rd grade at St Augustine’s Catholic School, in Peru, until it closed, and then went on to teach Art at Seton Catholic. She loved her classroom there, and the ability to meld her love of teaching with her innate skills as an artist. She purchased her home in Schuyler Falls in 2005 and had been steadily renovating it. She loved puttering out in her gardens and discovering all the heirloom flowers within them. She would always say “It’s a short little house, but I’m short too, so it’s perfect for me!” Sharon enjoyed sewing, painting, reading, gardening, galleries, travel, and getting ready to become a first-time grandmother. She found time to be an art student again in art workshops this past summer, and even brought her paints to school to demonstrate techniques and practice her skills. She loved sharing art with students and fellow artists at every opportunity. Sharon was a strong woman, a generous friend, a funny lady, and the best mother any daughter could ask for. Although we teased her for being a “Nervous Nellie,” she somehow always managed to encourage being a free-spirit and independent thinker.
Sharon was survived by her daughter Larissa Deitering and her partner Adam Crosley; her mother Stella Schenk; siblings Robert Schenk II, Patricia Lunsford, Peter Schenk, and David Schenk and their spouses; and many nieces, nephews, friends, and over 35 years of students. Calling hours will be Saturday December 22, 2012 from 9:00 to 11:00 Am at St. Augustine’s Church in Peru. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated following at 11:00 AM. Burial will be at a later date and at the convenience of the family in Elbow Hill Cemetery in Brant Lake. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sharon’s memory may be made to North Country Cultural Center for the Arts, 23 Brinkerhoff Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. Arrangements have been entrusted to Heald Funeral Home. 48 Court Street, Plattsburgh. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.healdfuneralhomeinc.com .