Jeannette Key Shoemaker

Jeannette Key Freeze Shoemaker, lifelong resident and active community member of Frederick County, died Sunday, February 19, 2017.

Mrs. Shoemaker was born on October 24, 1924, the only child of the late Lloyd Martin “Sam” Freeze and Jeannette Nicodemus Freeze. After graduating from Frederick High School in 1941, Mrs. Shoemaker attended the University of Maryland. She graduated in 1945 with a major in sociology and a minor in economics and began work at The Children’s Aid Society in Frederick, handling fostering and adoption.

When World War II ended, Ms. Freeze reconnected with her future husband, the late H. Reese Shoemaker, Jr., who had asked her to the Freshman Mixer at the University of Maryland before shipping off to the Pacific to serve in the US Army during the war. They were married on October 10, 1950 and remained devoted partners for over 60 years, until her husband’s death in 2011.

In 1958, Mrs. Shoemaker and her husband built their beautiful house in Frederick, which would become the backdrop for countless gatherings with family and friends over the years. As lovely as the house was on the interior, her primary passion was for the back yard, where she cultivated an English-style flower garden that rivaled the best of the Cotswolds. As a gift, her father bought the adjoining lot, which for many years served as the site of her vegetable garden, much to the delight of the hungry critters that inhabited it.

In addition to her private pursuits, Mrs. Shoemaker was actively involved in the Frederick community. Mrs. Shoemaker and her husband were longtime members of Calvary United Methodist Church, and Mrs. Shoemaker served on the Board of Managers of the Record Street Home, alongside some of her dearest friends for many years. She was also a member of Tasker’s Chance Garden Club for over 50 years, lending her eye for design and her “green thumb” to numerous fundraising and community projects over that time.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Shoemaker’s beauty and rich character were constantly evident. She was an avid rescuer of cats of all ages, giving each a loving home and a proper name, ranging from Hobart to Robespierre. She took immense pride in her family and her roles as wife, mother and grandmother, while also maintaining her strength and individuality. Her naturally curly hair (which never turned gray or white, only beige) was her defining physical feature, an outward manifestation of her internal beauty. Those closest to her know that she had a spirited sense of humor, quick-witted and irreverent until her death.

Mrs. Shoemaker is survived by daughter Janney K. Marshall, son-in-law Michael J. Strine, and granddaughter Jeannette A. Marshall, and son James R. Shoemaker, a local attorney, daughter-in-law Tamara L. Shoemaker, and grandchildren Sam Henry and Virginia Leigh Shoemaker.

The family will receive friends from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at Keeney & Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church Street, Frederick. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 24 at the funeral home. Internment will follow in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The H. Reese and Jeannette K. Shoemaker Charitable Fund, in C/O the Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701. (www.frederickcountygives.org/shoemaker) or to the Taskers Chance Garden Club, in C/O, Janney Marshall, 400 Carroll Parkway, Frederick, MD 21701. Online condolences may be shared at www.keeneybasford.com.