JOAN LYNNE KLOBNAK

1937 - 2014

Joan Lynne Klobnak, 76, passed away on June 11, 2014 at her home in Kansas City, Missouri. Joan was born on September 12, 1937 in Red Wing, Minnesota to Mildred and Helgi Punkari. Joan's father was an electrical engineer for AT&T and throughout her childhood she and her family lived in various places in the United States, including Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois; Chatham, New Jersey; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Joan joined the Air Force after graduating from high school in Cincinnati and was stationed at an airbase in the Northwest on security detail. Following her service in the Air Force, she held various occupations in the 1960s and 1970s, including as a dance instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studios and a sales specialist at Macy's in the Kansas City area. Joan married Larry James Klobnak on November 25, 1986 and they resided in Kansas City throughout the remainder of her life. When Joan was in her early 40s, she graduated from St. Luke's College of Health Sciences with a nursing degree and worked as an orthopedic nurse at St. Luke's Health System. After retiring from nursing, she started her own business, Interiors by Phoebe, and began a successful career in residential interior design. Her work was also featured in numerous Designers' Showhouses in Kansas City. Joan had a vivacious spirit and an unbridled passion for life. She loved pets and enjoyed traveling, watching classic movies, listening to music, cooking, reading, and playing cards. Her artistic talent was not only apparent by her accomplished interior designs, but also through her piano playing skills and the original artwork she created. Above all, she was a welcoming and generous host and loved opening up her home to entertain family and friends. She is survived by her husband Larry Klobnak of Kansas City, Missouri; brother John Punkari and his wife Jeri of Cincinnati, Ohio; nephew James Klobnak of Kansas City, Missouri; nieces Lynne Punkari and her husband Rob Mercke of Louisville, Kentucky, Kristina Klobnak of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Kathryn Klobnak and her husband Dalton Tomlinson of Devon, Pennsylvania; best friend John Wilson of Bloomington, Indiana. Joan was preceded in death by her parents Mildred and Helgi Punkari; sister Mary Patricia Punkari; mother-in-law Molly Klobnak; father-in-law Andrew Klobnak; brother-in-law Dwayne Klobnak; sister-in-law Vera Klobnak; nephew Thomas Klobnak; niece Cynthia Dayton Klobnak. A remembrance service for family and friends will be held on Friday, June 20 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Larry and Joan's residence in Kansas City, Missouri. Memorials may be sent directly to Larry Klobnak. Arr: Chapel of Memories Funeral Home 816-463-4030.