BLUME, JOAN ELLEN

BLUME, JOAN ELLEN
Joan Ellen Blume died Tuesday February 18, 2025, at The Resorts at Chester River, Chestertown MD. She was 93. Born August 6, 1931, in Cape May County, NJ, she was the daughter of Michael E. and Sara Ellen (Shropshire) Blume. Joan grew up in Cape May; a place she always called “Home”, no matter where she resided.
Joan earned a bachelor's in musical education from New Jersey Women's College (Rutgers) in 1953 and a Masters' degree in conducting from Trenton State. She taught music appreciation, musical theatre, and chorus for 25 years at Highland Park High School in New Jersey. She led school music groups to Czechoslovakia in 1971 and Poland in 1978 as part of Ambassadors of Friendship program. She went to England as a Fullbright Exchange Teacher and studied conducting in Frankfurt, Germany. She sang with the New York Chorale Society at many famous venues including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Arts Center. After retiring in 1979 from Highland Park, Joan continued her multi-faceted professional music career. She gave private lessons to vocal students, conducted with several organizations and church groups, was musical director for plays, performed as a piano accompanist, was an Associate Faculty member at Chesapeake College in the late 1990's, played piano for several churches, and sang with the Chester River Chorale until 2020.
Joan loved to travel in the USA and abroad. She visited many countries, including Cold War Soviet Union and China. She volunteered at a southwestern reservation. Besides music and travel, Joan enjoyed boat rides, art – especially her students', cross-country skiing and petting everybody's dogs.
She was predeceased by her brother, Jack Channing Blume and dear friend, Mary Lou Bleakley. She is survived by many cousins including Norma and William Shropshire, Alyssa Shropshire, Bill Shropshire, Elizabeth Woods, and Kimberley Shropshire, as well as friends Bill Bleakley and his family, Lynn Geisert, and host of others her life has touched.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the New Jersey chapter, Nature Conservancy at www.nature.org.