Obituary for Teresa Jane "Janie" Keith (Schablik) `
Teresa Jane “Janie” Keith died peacefully on July 25, 2023 after a short but courageous battle with cancer.
Janie was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1950 to Johnny and Joyce Schablik.
Janie touched countless lives as a mother, grandmother, short-term missionary, nurse, EMT and quilter – but above all else, Janie was a child of God and a Christian believer since the age of 8. Growing up in a Christian home, and with her church family, instilled in her the many positive values that we all saw as she touched the lives of others.
As a mother and grandmother, she was beloved. She loved her children and grandchildren fiercely, instilling in them independence, self-sufficiency, and strength. She provided her three daughters with the opportunity to try many activities and when asked for her opinion on something, would frequently tell them “Whatever you think is right.” She cherished family time, whether it was a quick “stopping by” visit or a week-long family vacation. Her grandchildren were the absolute light of her life.
In her Christian walk, she was very involved in her church and spreading the gospel, going on several short-term mission trips with her dear friends Jean and Jay Smith to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Brazil. She taught with Girls in Action, helped with church bookkeeping and was highly active in multiple bible studies and small groups. In New Hampshire, she attended Durham Evangelical Church, and previous to that, was a member of Seacoast Community Church.
As a wife, she was devoted and patient, loved to travel and have adventures along the way and enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles together with Ted. They had a special bond and were known for holding hands during church service. She led her husband back to Christ after years of him abandoning the faith, and he is eternally grateful for that (literally), as he shall see her again in Glory.
Janie was a registered nurse for more than 30 years, receiving her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt. She was highly skilled but compassionate. She worked in hospitals in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and New Hampshire, mostly in the Emergency Room and ICU/CCU.
As a quilter, she created her quilts out of love for others and gave most away, but could be overly self-critical, seeing tiny flaws only she could detect. She wanted them to be perfect!
Janie loved flowers – especially irises and lilies. She wasn’t fond of weeding, although she did a lot of it. She had a wonderful, witty sense of humor, enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, and was just a fun person to be around.
She is deeply missed.
Janie is survived by her husband Ted of 43 years; daughter Melissa Petraska, her husband Ray Petraska and grandchildren Connor, Liam and Zoe; daughter Mary Chadwick, her husband Jordan Chadwick and grandchildren Molly and Ben; daughter Laura Keith, her fiancé Rob Paquet and his son Sawyer; brother Johnny Schablik and his wife Trudy; brother Jay Schablik and his wife Debra; nieces and nephews, many dear friends and countless brothers and sisters in Christ.
Visitation will be at Purdy Memorial Chapel, 2 Concord Rd (Rt. 4) in Lee, NH on Monday, July 31 from 4-6 PM. A Christian memorial service will be held at the Durham Evangelical Church, 114 Dover Rd in Durham, NH on Tuesday, August 1 at 11 AM, followed by a reception at the church. Interment will be private, family-only.
In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Durham Evangelical Church, Samaritan’s Purse or Compassion International – all of which Janie herself supported.
To sign our online guestbook, please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com
Janie was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1950 to Johnny and Joyce Schablik.
Janie touched countless lives as a mother, grandmother, short-term missionary, nurse, EMT and quilter – but above all else, Janie was a child of God and a Christian believer since the age of 8. Growing up in a Christian home, and with her church family, instilled in her the many positive values that we all saw as she touched the lives of others.
As a mother and grandmother, she was beloved. She loved her children and grandchildren fiercely, instilling in them independence, self-sufficiency, and strength. She provided her three daughters with the opportunity to try many activities and when asked for her opinion on something, would frequently tell them “Whatever you think is right.” She cherished family time, whether it was a quick “stopping by” visit or a week-long family vacation. Her grandchildren were the absolute light of her life.
In her Christian walk, she was very involved in her church and spreading the gospel, going on several short-term mission trips with her dear friends Jean and Jay Smith to the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Brazil. She taught with Girls in Action, helped with church bookkeeping and was highly active in multiple bible studies and small groups. In New Hampshire, she attended Durham Evangelical Church, and previous to that, was a member of Seacoast Community Church.
As a wife, she was devoted and patient, loved to travel and have adventures along the way and enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles together with Ted. They had a special bond and were known for holding hands during church service. She led her husband back to Christ after years of him abandoning the faith, and he is eternally grateful for that (literally), as he shall see her again in Glory.
Janie was a registered nurse for more than 30 years, receiving her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee and a master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt. She was highly skilled but compassionate. She worked in hospitals in Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and New Hampshire, mostly in the Emergency Room and ICU/CCU.
As a quilter, she created her quilts out of love for others and gave most away, but could be overly self-critical, seeing tiny flaws only she could detect. She wanted them to be perfect!
Janie loved flowers – especially irises and lilies. She wasn’t fond of weeding, although she did a lot of it. She had a wonderful, witty sense of humor, enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, and was just a fun person to be around.
She is deeply missed.
Janie is survived by her husband Ted of 43 years; daughter Melissa Petraska, her husband Ray Petraska and grandchildren Connor, Liam and Zoe; daughter Mary Chadwick, her husband Jordan Chadwick and grandchildren Molly and Ben; daughter Laura Keith, her fiancé Rob Paquet and his son Sawyer; brother Johnny Schablik and his wife Trudy; brother Jay Schablik and his wife Debra; nieces and nephews, many dear friends and countless brothers and sisters in Christ.
Visitation will be at Purdy Memorial Chapel, 2 Concord Rd (Rt. 4) in Lee, NH on Monday, July 31 from 4-6 PM. A Christian memorial service will be held at the Durham Evangelical Church, 114 Dover Rd in Durham, NH on Tuesday, August 1 at 11 AM, followed by a reception at the church. Interment will be private, family-only.
In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Durham Evangelical Church, Samaritan’s Purse or Compassion International – all of which Janie herself supported.
To sign our online guestbook, please go to www.purdyfuneralservice.com