It is with sadness that we note the passing of longtime Allentown Art Museum supporter and former AAM Board Chair Loris Joan “Joanne” Barnette on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
“Joanne was always so gracious and diplomatic, but not afraid to make her own final decision on important issues that faced the Board,” says AAM Honorary Trustee Dolores Laputka, Esq., who followed Joanne as Board Chair. “She was delightful to work with, and when she asked you to do something for the betterment of the Museum, you felt honored to be asked. She was an icon in her time and will be sorely missed.”
Joanne, the daughter of the late James Adrian Harner and Mabel Mayfield Harner, was born in 1935 in Morgantown, West Virginia. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Curtis H. “Hank” Barnette; sons C. Kevin Barnette of Bethlehem and James D. Barnette and his wife, Chelo Villanueva, of Alexandria, Virginia; sister Debra Harner Hickman of Charlotte, North Carolina; sister-in-law Karen Barnette Johnson and her husband, David, of Huntersville, North Carolina; and many other beloved relatives.
Joanne and Hank moved to Bethlehem in 1967, where Joanne earned her master’s degree in education from Lehigh University. She became involved with the Allentown Art Museum at the invitation of the couple’s friend and Museum champion, Priscilla Payne Hurd. Joanne served on the Museum’s Board of Trustees for ten years in several leadership roles, including co-chair of the Development Committee; chair of the Collections Committee; chair of the Capital Campaign Committee for the Museum’s 2010 expansion project; and President of the AAM Board of Trustees from June 2009 to June 2010.
Upon her election, Joanne stated, “The Allentown Art Museum is a gem in the Lehigh Valley. As President, I look forward to working with the trustees, staff, and volunteers to strengthen the Museum for the cultural and educational benefit of our community.” She fulfilled that commitment with distinction.
In April 2014, the Museum honored Joanne and Hank Barnette at the Gala Dinner & Auction in recognition of their service to the Museum and their positive impact on our community. Joanne will be deeply missed.
To learn more about the extraordinary life and many accomplishments of Joanne Barnette, CLICK HERE.