Joan Claire Aschenbrand

Joan Claire Aschenbrand (née Freund) 79, born in New York, a Bronx girl, passed away on August 30, 2025, after a four decade battle against melanoma. She was the heart, the strength, and the conscience of our family. Joan was born on July 17, 1946 to Ernest and Eleanor Freund. Family and friends were at her bedside throughout her recent illness in support of her and her struggle fighting the obscenity and ravages of cancer.

Joan attended City College of New York. She married Richard Aschenbrand on July 2, 1967. Soon after they moved to Ohio, where she worked as a hematology research assistant, and later as a patient care coordinator for the department of plastic surgery at The Ohio State University Hospital.

She is survived by her husband, daughter Jennifer, son-in-law Jay Stewart, son Aaron, daughter-in-law Tara, and grandchildren Colter, Lily, and Gia Aschenbrand.

All of us will miss her joyous laugh, her large, deep brown eyes, her sharp, playful sense of humor, her lovely smile, her intelligence, her diminutive presence, her tenderness. She was the perfect partner, an always caring mother, the truest friend, a joy to be around. Joan was proud of her family, greatly valued her friends and cherished her home. Joan had many personal and professional accomplishments, but delighted most in the accomplishments of others. Joan was kind, sweet, tender, and so generous.

Joan’s joys were simple - a family get-together, an evening with friends, a good novel, a mahjong game, travel, a walk on the beach - all done with style, grace, and a smile. She was young-at-heart.
Joan loved and was loved.

The date of Joan’s Remembrance Gathering will follow.