Joanne W. Lechner, age 76, a long-time resident of Wheaton, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2020, with family by her side. She was born July 19, 1944, in Zionsville, Indiana, to her parents Ernest and Martha Ohrstrom.

She is survived by her husband of nearly 49 years, John R. Lechner of Wheaton; her children John M. (Wendy) of Surrey, United Kingdom, David of Los Angeles, CA & Kristin (Jonathan) Veach of Aurora, IL; her grandchildren John C. and Charlotte Lechner & Madison and T.J. Veach. Also survived by her are sister Nancy (Bill) Ahrens; and her nieces and nephews: Bill, Beth, and Anne.

Joanne also leaves a large group of friends and neighbors, well-known for sharing her kind heart, warm smile, compassion, and generosity to all those around her.

She grew up on Solon Boulevard in Solon, Ohio, where she graduated from Solon High School. She and her family spent many summers and vacations at Leech Lake in Minnesota, where she loved swimming, canoeing, and fishing.

She began working at Western Electric, where she worked until she reconnected with her future husband, John R.

Joanne's parents were lifelong friends of John J. and Mary Lechner. While Joanne and John R. knew each other for years, a joint family picnic in June 1971 rekindled their relationship, leading to their marriage in January 1972.

She and John moved first to Four Lakes in Lisle, IL, quickly settling into their home in Wheaton. Joanne was a loving and caring homemaker, volunteering with the Wheaton Junior Woman's Club, Lowell Elementary School, at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Glen Ellyn and other charitable organizations. She also worked as a Human Resources Associate for Carson Pirie Scott at Yorktown Mall for over two decades, after which she retired.

For many years, Joanne was also a co-owner of a small business, where she and her partner refurbished and re-sold antiques at the Kane County Flea Market and an antique shop stall in Glen Ellyn.

Joanne also enjoyed tending to her gardens, inspired by her mother and mother-in-law's joint passion for 4-H Club and flowers. She was also a Fighting Irish fan, steadfastly rooting for the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Minnesota Vikings through thick and thin.

Most of all, Joanne loved spending time with family – especially her grandchildren, whom she adored, loudly cheering them on from the sidelines of sports and activities and spoiling them with frequent mystery rides and care packages of her homemade caramel popcorn.

A socially-distanced visitation following appropriate protocols will be held Monday, October 19, 2020, from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home , 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, October 20, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home, which will also be live-streamed https://youtu.be/bGjSSEtTKdo . Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery. A celebration of life is also planned for June 2021 to allow family and friends from around the country and across the pond to gather and share memories together.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans, 433 S Carlton Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187 ( https://www.helpaveteran.org/donate ) or Midwest Labrador Retriever Rescue, P.O. Box 1473 Lombard, IL 60148-8473 ( https://mlrr.org/pages/donate ).

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at 630-668-0027.