JoAnne Kirchner, 72, of Roanoke passed away Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at home surrounded by her family. Born September 26, 1949, in Muncie she was a daughter of the late Phil and Nell Hidgon. In 1967 she graduated from Muncie Central High School and in 1971 she earned her bachelor's degree in secondary education from Indiana University. JoAnne served as Clerk Treasurer for the Town of Roanoke for 24 years and was the longest serving treasurer in their history.
She was an avid reader, lover of music (especially Babs, Celine and Earth, Wind & Fire), collector of antiques and has long been drawn to the world of theater. In recent years you may have seen her in the Civic production of “Over the River and Through the Woods”, the “Veteran Spouse Project” or “Ladies in Cabin 10” which she earned an Anthony Award nomination for best supporting actress. Her “theater peeps” as she called them were very special to her. She also had a passion for traveling and in recent years started taking “girls trips” with her daughter, sister and niece to various places on their bucket list, Maine being her favorite.
After retiring from the Town of Roanoke JoAnne went through classes to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children, adopted her beloved cat, Clare, and spent more time reading and watching Patrick Mahomes play football as much as possible. Family and friends were always her priority and one of her greatest joys in life was being a mom. In JoAnne’s words “Wear the jewelry, eat dessert first, seize the day!”
JoAnne is survived by her daughter, Kate B. (John Horazy) Keefer; sister, Sally R. (Gene) Boling; niece, Aubrey (Roy) Smith; and nephew, Frank (Mandy) Boling.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Joseph Decuis Farm, 6755 E. 900 S., Columbia City, IN, 46725, on Saturday, May 21st at 4:00 pm with calling from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Heartland Hospice, the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre or Humane Fort Wayne.