Joanne M. Nottke, nee Kercher 71, of Chicago passed away April 9, 2018.  Born March 1, 1947 to the late Matilda (Gorz) and Reuben Kercher, Joanne grew up in Logan Square, long before it became a trendy place to be. She developed an early interest in art, no doubt influenced by her dad who was a graphic artist and whose paintings remained in her home throughout her life.  A passion for food emerged later on, which she concluded must have come from her years as a youngster, sitting on a kitchen stool while her mom prepared the family meals.

" Nobody gets out alive" was a saying Joanne would use to remind us, with a smile, of life's inevitable realities. She devoted the years she had to taking time to listen to the hopes and fears of other people and offering support. Whether you were family, a friend, co-worker or even the person answering when she called to order from a catalogue, she had a way of getting past the surface and you went away knowing you had had an experience, not just a conversation.

Some feel you can get an insight into people by learning their favorite books and movies. If so, then you might watch Anthony Quinn as Zorba or Julia Child, Jacques Pepin and Vivian Howard, all on her favorite PBS station on Channel 11. She would weave into her reading list the Travis McGee series created in the 1960s by John D. McDonald and loved Fredrik Backman's characters.

For music, she has always liked the people-oriented songs of John Prine and Bonnie Koloc, which date back to the old days of waiting in the snow outside the Earl of Old Town, to see them in person.

"Never change anything" was a favorite guideline of Joanne's. If you hang up your keys on the hook in the hall, she'd say, you'll never lose them. She was right. And that rule might be applied to other areas of her life. Cable TV? Nope, the antenna provided many riches. Email or social media? No thanks, too impersonal, better to meet or share a phone call or exchange a hand-written note.  Smart phone? A handset and landline were just fine. It was the communication, not the device, that mattered.

Joanne had a life. After graduation from Schurz High School and Northern Illinois University, she decided that the three options open to most women: nurse, teacher or secretary, were not a good match for her. With no formal business training, she managed to get an entry-level job in the male-dominated world of advertising in Chicago. Though she encountered stiff resistance, she was able to work her way up and became the first woman to be promoted at each higher level, until she reached a senior position. How? By determination and demonstrating simple common sense and respect for others.

After retiring, she decided to focus on her love for food and for people by taking a job as a checkout person at a local specialty food retail store. It wasn't too long before her skills were noted and she eventually became the head buyer for hundreds of items for what had grown to four stores. She loved sharing her knowledge and experience with everyone she met.

Retiring again, she found more time to care for others. Her legacy is embedded in all of us who were lucky enough to have had her in our lives, including her neighbors who have her to thank for starting a block party, scheduled for its 38th consecutive year in 2018.

Among those Joanne leaves behind include: her husband of 47 years, Allen ("Al") Nottke; sister Louise (Paul) Steinbach and their sons Michael and Robert (Jennelyn) Steinbach and daughter Paula (Will) Krapf and their son Ron and daughter Hazel; sister Susan (the late Robert) Elgersma and their daughters Diana Elgersma and Chrissy (Sasha) Clayton and their daughter Matilda ("Tillie"); brother-in-law James (Betsy) Nottke and their daughter Dianne Nottke and son Nathan (Sharon) Nottke and their children Max, Madison and Lexi; sister-in-law Louise Kiekow and her daughter Kelly Kiekow.

Thank you to the compassionate people at Rainbow Hospice at Resurrection Medical Center, especially Mary, Pam, Connie and Susie.

If you are considering making a donation in her memory, Joanne felt strongly about the work of Heifer, International, in their fight to end hunger.

For information, Kolbus-May Funeral Home can be reached at 773-774-3232 and condolences may be shared with her family at www.kolbusmayfh.com . Internment will be private at Memorial Park in Skokie in the summer.