Joanne Supernois

Joanne Lee (Spade) Supernois passed away on November 19, 2023, in her home surrounded by her family.  She was born July 29, 1947, to Warren and Wanda (Lewis) Spade in Admire, Kansas. She was the oldest of three children growing up on the family farm.  Her parents and brother, Marshall Spade, proceeded her in death.

Joanne graduated from Northern Heights High School in 1965.  In 1969 she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the Kansas State Teachers College (known today as Emporia State University).  After graduation, Joanne moved to Newton to begin her teaching career at Newton High School.  Her mother came with her to locate a place to live, and they settled on a quaint little apartment above the Supernois Furniture store.  This is where she would meet her husband, Jerry, whom she wed in 1970.

Joanne taught at Newton High School as the Vocational Office Education Instructor for 32 years, retiring in 2002. Joanne taught numerous business courses at NHS, but her pride and joy were her students in the Office Education Association, later known as the Business Professionals of America, club classes.  Every senior she taught held a very special place in her heart.  These students became part of her family while they were in her classroom, and she made herself available to them night or day.  There wasn’t a business in town that didn’t employ at least one of her students, or multiple, over the course of her career.  Joanne was never afraid to take on a new challenge and prided herself on her work ethic.  She took on a job at Taco Tico when a class told her she didn’t know what it was like to work with the public.  She thought what better way to learn than fast food.  Joanne also took on the 3^rd hour in-school suspension class, a health occupations class, taught at the alternative school, and sold admission tickets during school plays, concerts, and sporting events.  She was always fundraising for OEA/BPA running concession stands and rock-a-thons during those events. After retirement from NHS, she continued to teach various business courses with Hutchinson Community College for 18 years.  Joanne loved playing the piano, learning to play at a young age, so she opened her home and taught children as young as 3 to adults as old as 83 up until Covid hit in 2020.  She always had an average of 60 students per year for over 50 years.

Joanne earned numerous awards for her work within the community and classroom.  Her top accomplishment was in 2013 when she earned the Outstanding Older Worker Award from the Kansas Works Department of Commerce.  They held a banquet in her honor in Topeka and she made the 6 o’clock news and numerous newspapers.  She said she had truly accomplished it all with that award!

Outside of her passion for teaching, Joanne was a wife, mother, and devoted grandmother. Joanne’s legacy continues with her loving husband of 53 years Jerry, son Mark (Holly) Supernois of Wichita, granddaughters Brianna and Madison of Tempe, AZ, daughter Lisa (Dan) Timmons, granddaughters Marcella and Ashleigh all of Newton, daughter Kristi Bueno, grandson Alexander all of Newton.  Other survivors include her sister-in-law Jan Spade of Emporia and sister Susan (Ed) Ryan of Hoyt along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation is on November 26 from 1:00-5:00PM – family will receive friends from 2:00-4:00PM at Petersen Family Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Trinity Heights on Monday at 10:00AM with a graveside service at 2:00PM at Admire Cemetery in Admire, Kansas.

Memorial contributions can be made out to Good Shephard Hospice in care of Petersen Family Funeral Home.