B. Jean Wastler, led active life

B. Jean Wastler, 90, passed away peacefully Friday, March 15, 2024. She was born Nov. 7, 1933.

 

Jeanie, as she was known to the many who loved her, was a longtime resident of Rehoboth Beach and a former resident of Montgomery County, Md. She was living in Massachusetts for the last four years of her life. She greeted each day with the phrase, “Oh, Happy Day!”

 

Jeanie was incredibly active for many years before her physical health created limitations. She took over The Treasure House on Highway One between Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach in 1989 from her parents Bernice and Clarence Wastler. She had a space for many years in Heritage Antiques Market, Lewes. She was a fixture at Wilson’s Auctions.

 

Jeanie had a lifelong devotion to learning and education. She was a very active member of the American  Association of University Women for decades. She was voted Member of the Year in 2009. She served on the board of the Rehoboth Beach Museum and was involved in the founding of Primero Pasos, a bilingual early care and learning center.

 

She was a church-going member of St. Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach. Jean never married, but she was an aunt extraordinaire. Her younger brother, Joseph P. Wastler, passed away before her, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. She leaves behind her brother, Harry C. Wastler, of Sweden. She also leaves behind many cousins in Maryland, where she was born, attended high school, and eventually worked as an educator within the Montgomery County school system. Her nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and -nieces are all going to miss her punctual birthday cards and hand-written notes.

 

Jean was a Maryland Democratic State delegate. During the 1976 National Democratic Convention, she met President Jimmy Carter, about whom she was researching to write a book that was never published. Jean was an active presence in the Washington political scene as a younger person. She attended a number of inaugural balls and was sought after for her pressing questions and quick mind at parties. Jean was an avid traveler and a lifelong learner. She traveled all over North America, South America and Europe. She loved talking to people, and always studied the language and culture of the countries she was going to visit. Her inquisitive mind stayed with her for most of her life.

 

A fun, private, family funeral mass was held at St. John’s Roman Catholic Church in Westminster, Md. Jean was interred at Westminster Cemetery alongside her brother, Joseph; and her parents, Bernice and Clarence Wastler.