Obituary of Deborah A. Schoonmaker

ILION/NANTUCKET - Deborah A. (Moschetto) Schoonmaker, age 63, currently of Ilion and a longtime resident of Nantucket, MA, passed away on Friday afternoon, October 26, 2018, at the St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica, after a brief illness.

Born on May 28, 1955, Deborah was the daughter of the late Dominick A. and Shirley A. (Lawrence) Moschetto. She was raised and educated in Ilion, graduating from Ilion High School with the Class of 1973. At one time, Deborah shared in a marriage with Ronald Schoonmaker, a relationship from which came their two beloved children. Deb and Ron have maintained an amicable and close-knit friendship for over forty years.

After raising her children, Deb relocated to Nantucket, Massachusetts, where she spent her career as a store manager with the historical Nobby Clothes Shop for over twenty years. She was a favorite amongst her co-workers and clientele alike, affectionately known as the “Shoe Queen.” Her presence has been missed there, as failing health in recent years, forced her to return home to Ilion to be closer to her family.

Deb was a simple woman who enjoyed the quiet reflections and comforts of her own home. In her spare time, she was an avid reader, as well as an explorer of holistic medicine.  As a geode enthusiast, she had an extensive collection of crystals and stones. She enjoyed her outings and dinner dates with friends and family, and loved to spend time with her feline companion, Lucy.

Deborah’s presence will be greatly missed by those that she leaves behind. She is survived by her son, Jason Schoonmaker and companion, Kim Sutton of Little Falls; her daughter, Krista Schoonmaker and companion, Charles Eldred of Ilion; her husband, Ron, of Ilion; her grandchildren, Trevor, Infinity and Cassidy, as well as Jake and Seth, who she loved as her own. She also leaves her brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Ann Moschetto of Ilion; her nephew, Richard Moschetto and his wife, Melissa; her special cousin, Ann; and her aunts, Carol Jones, Mary Moschetto, Bea Lawrence and Esther Lawrence.

A special thank you is extended to Deb’s friend and caregiver, Jessica Schlaepfer, for the kindness and compassion shown to Deb throughout the last years of her journey.

Friends and relatives are invited to attend Deb's visitation on Thursday evening, November 1, 2018 from 6:00PM - 8:00PM at the Enea & Ciaccia Family Funeral Home, 4309 Acme Road, Town of Frankfort, Ilion, NY (315) 894-8000. Deb's funeral service and Celebration of Life will commence on Friday morning, November 2, 2018 at 10:00AM at the funeral home with Sister Mary Jo Tallman, CSJ, officiating. Procession will follow to Rural Park Cemetery, Ingham Mills, where Deb will be laid to rest beside her parents.

For those wishing to do so, please consider memorial contributions to the Epilepsy Foundation, 8301 Professional Place, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785 OR to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. 

Deborah's final wishes have been entrusted to Martin L. Ciaccia and Harry and Kevin Enea, Funeral Directors of the Enea & Ciaccia Family Funeral Home. Online notes of sympathy may be left at www.eneafamily.com.