Noreen (Tatusko) Schwalm

Shamokin - Noreen Ann (Tatusko) Schwalm, 72, passed into God’s hands early Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at Geisinger Medical Center, Shamokin, surrounded by her husband, son, and sister.

Reenie was born a Brady girl in Shamokin Hospital on July 22, 1949, to the late Stephen and Anna (Olley) Tatusko, was a 1967 graduate of Shamokin Area High School, and received a master’s equivalency level in education from Bloomsburg University.

Noreen taught middle school English, among other classes, for nearly 40 years in the Shamokin Area School District, first as Miss T., then as Mrs. Schwalm after she married her husband Dan on June 15, 1985, at the Johnson City UMC, where she was an active member. As a teacher, Noreen influenced the lives of thousands of students and did everything from coaching softball to house managing the musicals to challenge the troublemaker and champion the underdog. Jean Louise Stellfox was her mentor, colleague, and life-long friend, who enabled Noreen and her family to meet multiple internationally recognized authors through an endowment to Dickinson College.

Reen was a quiet advocate for women, an avid reader, and a lover of crosswords, nativity sets, Noah’s Ark, and Snoopy. She became an active member of the Himmel’s Church congregation when her son Nathan was confirmed there, and she later went on to write weekly children’s sermons to be delivered by recent confirmands. Noreen had a heart bigger than she was, furthered youth endeavors at church and in the community, and for many years she was the ‘game lady’ for the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association annual meeting. Noreen’s life was full of ups and downs, but in the end it’s a wonderful life.

Noreen is survived by her husband N. Daniel, son Nathan, sister and brother-in-law Judy and Jim Ramp, was Rhinex to niece Megan (Ramp) and husband Joseph Schweitzer, nephew Kyle Ramp and wife Vonda, and was Aunt Reen to great-nieces and great-nephews Josh, Carson, Skylar, Nick, Dawson, Averie, and Ryan.