Jon Stephen Schoen of Darien and Nantucket passed away on Sept. 8. He was 56.
John Schoen, 56, passed away on Friday. His funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 9.
He was born in Washington D.C. on Dec. 26, 1960, the son of the late James and Anne Schoen.
He attended Good Counsel High School and played football for Boston College where he was a four-year starter and standout with a program that went from 0-11 to playing in what is now the Capital One Bowl during his senior year. He finished his collegiate career ranked 7th in all-time receiving yards for BC and was awarded the Thomas Scanlon Award as the Scholar Athlete of his senior class.
After graduating, he signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was also drafted by the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL. Jon had better things in mind and began his MBA at Carroll School of Business three weeks into the fall season.
Jon began his professional life with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, working on the 85th floor in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. In light of the ’93 terrorist bombings he switched career paths and took an offer from Morgan Stanley where he soon found a second family and culture that matched his work ethic and moral compass.
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— an obituary from Edward Lawrence Funeral Home
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As a managing director for almost two decades, he was the antithesis of the typically described Wall Street executive. Jon found young talent by simply judging people for their integrity, moral character, and work ethic.
He initiated several philanthropic activities at the firm by volunteering in a Lower East Side soup kitchen and offering his time with rooftop garden initiatives. He volunteered after Hurricane Sandy, walking from apartment to apartment in Coney Island handing out food and necessities.
Personally, Jon never met a Catholic charity or school he couldn’t help. He donated generously to Kolbe Cathedral Catholic in Boston. He was an enthusiastic proponent of Teach For America, and funded the first Girls Lacrosse Program in College Park, Ga.
Jon coached youth basketball at St. Stephen of Hungary on the Upper East Side for the past five years of his life, in the midst of his health battle. He anticipated retiring and working full-time in a school setting.
In his community, Jon offered his time to the Special Olympics. He was a catechist at St. Thomas More where he and Patricia raised their three children.
Jon was integral in the Blue Wave Pride Organization, now the Darien Athletic Foundation. He helped raise and gave generously to the beautification of the Darien High School facilities, where he proudly watched his three children compete in football, lacrosse, soccer, track, and swimming for over 15 years.
His generosity and loyalty to all things Blue Wave, Harvard, Georgetown and Stanford will not be forgotten. Most importantly, Jon never forgot the school that gave him the chance to succeed. He endowed two full scholarships in the BC Athletic Department. Jon had 100 season tickets for Boston College Football, using all of them for one game each year and donating the remainder to a local charity to enjoy.
In recent years, Jon raised thousands of dollars for cancer research, and his diagnosis did not slow him down from continuing to do the things that he loved. He biked 200 miles with his children in the Pan Mass Challenge the past three years. Jon also biked Mt. Ventoux while battling his disease near the end of his life.
Most important about Jon was his faith and ability to tell his children how much he loved them. He was their biggest fan, counselor, confidant and shoulder to lean on.
From day one, Jon was an incredibly loyal and loving husband for 34 years. He fell instantly in love with his wife, Patricia after meeting in the back seat of a car on campus. His loss is devastating but his spirit will live on through his family.
Jon is survived by his wife Patricia; children: Tara Schoen Moss and son-in-law Erik Moss of New York City; his son, Jon Jr. of Los Angeles; his daughter, Dillon Rose of Darien; his brother and sisters Timothy, Robin, and Kelly; his O’Hagan sibilings: John Jr., Michael, Gary, Jane, Donald, Brian, Elizabeth, Christopher and Theresa as well as many nieces and nephews.
His funeral service will be held at St. John Catholic Church in Darien at 1 p.m. on Saturday Sept. 9. He will be laid to rest privately with his family on Nantucket.
In lieu of gifts you are welcome to donate to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in care of Susan F. Slovin, MD, PhD.