Joan Claire Rubin Siegel Schoenes

Joan Claire Rubin Siegel Schoenes, 91, of Richmond, VA passed away on September 14, 2017. Her graveside funeral service will be held on Sunday, August 17, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. in Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Cemetery (Huguenin Avenue).

Born in Charleston, SC, she always had salt water in her veins. She lived a happy childhood in Charleston, moving to Richmond as a teenager with her family where her father, Louis D. Rubin, Sr. became legendary as the Weather Wizard for his Rubin Day predictions. In Richmond, during the war years she met her husband Simon Siegel and started a family. With a short stint in Waynesboro, and a longer stay in Richmond, the Ashley and Cooper Rivers beckoned her and she moved her young family back to Charleston. There she found her career, as manager of the Charleston Symphony and later as a legal secretary. She had a lifetime love of the symphony and opera, with most Saturday afternoons spent listening to the Metropolitan Opera on the radio. Later as her marriage ended she returned to Richmond raising her teenage and pre-teen children as a single working mother. She married again and helped raise her first grandchild, Maiann. She built a business, Cloud Chart Inc., based on the weather charts her father had created. As more grandchildren were born, she ended that marriage and moved back to her hometown, made many new friends, keeping a very active social calendar. After retiring from her new career at SCORE, she volunteered as a docent for Temple KKBE, her historic and much loved synagogue. In later years, she returned to Richmond to be with her children and grandchildren and enjoyed her last years at Beth Sholom Gardens. She will always be remembered for her generous spirit, wry humor, love of family, and Charleston stories.

She is survived by her daughter and best friend, Beth Siegel Stein (David); her two sons, Robert S. Siegel and Daniel M. Siegel; her loving daughter-in-law, Peggy Siegel; her devoted nephew, James Rubin; her six precious grandchildren, Maiann S. Good, Julia Siegel Breton (Andrew), Tommy Siegel, Ethan Stein, Michael Stein and Hilary Buckley; her two great grandchildren, Chase Virginia Siegel Breton and Beau Siegel Breton. She is also survived by her brother, E. Manning Rubin (Jane). She was predeceased by her daughter, Debbie (Kari) Good and her brother, Louis D. Rubin, Jr.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Beth Sholom Gardens, 2001 Lauderdale Drive, Henrico, VA 23238 -3935 in appreciation of their compassionate and loving care.