Obituary: ​Mrs. Jeanne Luedke, 83, of Waterbury

Obituary courtesy of Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home

W. Jeanne Luedke

"Pianist, Music Educator, Lecturer, Author, Songwriter
and devoted Mother"
Founded Suzuki Talent Education School of Newtown, CT\

Mrs. Jeanne Luedke (83) passed away on June 6, 2021, at Waterbury Hospital from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. She was the loving wife of Frederick Luedke for 62 years.

She was born January 25, 1938, in Kansas City, MO, daughter of Will and Wilma Seacat, her adoptive parents. She grew up in Western Kansas where her father was a school superintendent and her mother a schoolteacher. Jeanne showed signs of her future as a gifted pianist by playing piano for church services as a pre-teen. She attended Wichita State University in Wichita, KS, earning Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. Jeanne and Fred moved to Waterbury in 1988.

Throughout her life, Jeanne sought to bring the joy of music to others. She had a career in piano performance, including a long run at the famed Merry-Go-Round room at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, MA. She became interested in the Suzuki Method of music instruction and studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in Matsumoto, Japan. In 1977, she founded the Suzuki Talent Education School of Newton, CT. She focused special attention on the training of parents as an integral part of the Suzuki Method. Jeanne wrote a newsletter for many years, developed parent and teacher training materials, traveled extensively presenting her widely acclaimed Parent Education Seminars, and wrote two books aimed at parents and teachers of Suzuki students. She served on the board of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and wrote the piano column for the American Suzuki Journal.
In Waterbury, CT, Jeanne produced a variety show called Broadway on The Green at St. John’s Episcopal Church, which gave amateur singers the opportunity to perform Broadway shows with the guidance and back-up of professional musicians. Jeanne produced these shows for eleven years until she achieved her goal of funding a new grand piano for the church.

Jeanne was a nurturing friend, a supportive colleague, a wonderful mother to her two children, and a loving caretaker of the dogs who graced her life. She will be deeply missed by the many people whose lives she touched. She is survived by her husband Frederick L. Luedke, her daughter Tracy J. Luedke of Chicago, IL, her son Frederick W. “Fritz” Luedke, her daughter-in-law Stephanie Birrell Luedke, and her grandson Jackson Thomas Luedke of Ridgefield, CT.

Following a private family burial at Calvary Cemetery, a celebration of life memorial service will be held on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at Walnut Hill Community Church, 274 Bunker Hill Ave., Waterbury, CT, followed by luncheon at Verdi Restaurant. Donations may be made to United Way of Greater Waterbury. Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

For more information or to send e-condolences, visit: www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.