- Date Of Death: March 19, 2016
- State: New Jersey
Jan Schonberg, a proud Marine, passed peacefully early on March 19th, 2016 at the Veterans Memorial Home at Vineland NJ at the age of 80 after a 35 year battle as an insulin dependent diabetic. Born in Copenhagen Denmark, Jan lived through the Nazi occupation of Copenhagen during WWII, emigrated to the United States in 1948 with his father to Uniondale, Long Island, New York, and relocated to Burlington City NJ in his retirement. He is predeceased by his brother Thomas, his parents Viggo and Ritra, and survived by his daughter, Elizabeth Schonberg, L. Beth Masters, daughter Katherine Schonberg Perine, cousins Richard Schonberg and Lise Moller, granddaughter Margaret Perine, grandson Mark Perine, and many cousins in Denmark.
He also leaves his brothers in his Marine Corps League Detachment #695 of Burlington City, New Jersey. Jan joined the Marines as a reservist at 20 and achieved the rank of Sergeant in the United States Marine Corp during his service. He received Good Conduct and Rifle Expert medals. Stationed in El Toro, CA he worked in a maintenance crew on the F9F8 Cougar jet, a precursor to the F14. Later he returned to Long Island, married and raised two daughters. Very active in his local Marine Corp League Detachment, Jan found in them his second family, his military family, where he volunteered and enjoyed the Rose Program, visits to the Vineland Veterans Memorial Home, and the Toys for Tots program. Jan was a gentle man, who sold sailboats as his profession for most of his life, often working seven days a week. He had relocated to NJ, to live near his daughter and near the Delaware River and the water he loved so much. He had a dry “Danish” sense of humor.
He would not want forgotten his dialysis nurse, Beth of Davita, or Anna, his Ft. Dix, VA primary care nurse practitioner, both of whom worked with him in the years before he moved to the Vineland Home and extended his quality and quantity of life with their compassionate and competent care. His last months and days were spent living at the VA Memorial Home in Vineland where he was cared for until the end with utmost dignity, respect, kindness and love by his doctor, Michelle Anthony; nurses Nancy, Tracy, Angie, Lea, Patty, Dave, John and others; and aides, particularly his beautiful Twyla, and Olivia, Maddie, and many, others including everyone who works at the VMHAV, as well as Kelly and Anthony, his hospice caregivers.
