Joanne Huntington Tunnell

Joanne Huntington Tunnell of West Chester Joanne Huntington Tunnell, the beloved matriarch of the extensive Tunnell clan, passed away unexpectedly on June 17, 2016 in Paoli, PA leaving behind her family and friends, who deeply mourn her loss. Joanne was born on November 13, 1929 in Rochester, NY, two weeks after the start of the Great Depression. Her formative years were spent frequently relocating throughout upstate New York, as her loving and hardworking parents sought work and good communities to live in, experiences that left Joanne smart, strong-willed, and with a keen sense of humor. After attending high school in Glens Falls and Delmar, NY, she followed her mother’s footsteps to Cornell University, where Joanne was elected Vice President of the Women’s Student Government, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She graduated from Cornell University in 1951 with a BA in Economics and in 1952 with a Masters of Public Administration, a rare level of achievement for women of that time. At Cornell, although the future wasn’t yet clear, Joanne met her sweetheart and future husband, Kenneth W. Tunnell in 1951. Following graduation, Joanne served her country, working for the CIA in Washington, D.C. as a Russian economic analyst during the Cold War era. This serendipitous posting reconnected her with Ken, who was there serving in the NSA. Despite being sworn to secrecy not to discuss what they did every day, they fell deeply in love and were married on October 3, 1953 in Delmar, NY. Joanne devoted her life to her family. Through her love, dedication and hard work, she supported Ken in establishing and developing the K.W. Tunnell Company, a successful management consulting firm still thriving today. During the company’s early years, she shouldered much of the at-home responsibility of raising the growing family of 5 children, and was in many ways the anchor of the family. Ken always gave Joanne credit for her steady love and support that were the keystones to the success of their marriage, the company, and the children, all of which he adored her for. She loved her family dearly, and loved visiting with, talking to, or just hearing about her children and grandchildren. Her lifelong interests, shared with her children and grandchildren American history and government, girls’ education, classical music, a good book and travel. Joanne always enjoyed an informed discussion of political and social matters. She was an avid reader and maintained a sharp interest and insight into world affairs. She introduced her children and grandchildren to the adventure, beauty and peace of the natural world she so loved, especially the Hudson River Valley, Big Moose Lake and the Adirondack mountains, all of which she visited with her family as a child and shared with her extended family throughout her life. After moving to Hershey’s Mill over 30 years ago, she and Ken enjoyed their nature filled surroundings, new friends, and local visits to Longwood Gardens and the People’s Light theater. With dear lifelong friends made at Cornell and from their earlier neighborhoods of Halford Hills and Tanglewood Lane, they enjoyed frequent regional and international travel adventures. With Ken, she established a fund at the Chester County Community Foundation to benefit the needs of women and girls and to promote youth development in West Chester. In recent months Joanne commented frequently on how fortunate her life had been and how grateful and happy she was. Joanne is survived by her five children, Pamela, Kathleen, Peter, Ken and Jeanne; their spouses Steve, Gary, Louise, Suzanne and Doug; her eleven grandchildren, Alec, William, Nick, Ian, Acacia, Ryan, Sarah, Will, Kelsey, Cameron and Leah; her sister-in-law Helshi; her nieces and nephews John, Mark, Tracy, Wendy, Jan, Kate, Bertram, Tory and Charlie; and her brother Jim Huntington, sister-in law Bettyanne, and children. She was predeceased in October by her loving husband Ken, and previously by her mother Joanna Donlon Huntington and father James Cantine Huntington. A funeral mass celebrating Joanne’s life will be held on Thursday, July 7, 2016 at Saints Peter and Paul Church, 1325 E. Boot Rd., West Chester, PA 19380; with visitation starting at 10am followed by the service at 11am, and a reception immediately following. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joanne’s memory can be made to Home of the Sparrow, 969 East Swedesford Road, Exton, PA 19341 or to the Adirondack Chapter of the Nature Conservancy PO Box 65, Keene Valley, NY 12943. Arrangements are being handled by DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home Inc., West Chester, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com.