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Obituary for Joanne McKelvey Starbuck
PLEASE AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILY, DO NOT SEND FLOWERS. Joanne (McKelvey) Starbuck, of Centennial, passed away on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. She was 90 years old. Joanne was born in Denver to the late John and Marion (nee Anderson) McKelvey on November 29, 1928. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Starbuck, with whom she shared 63 years of marriage. Joanne spent her early childhood in Georgetown, Colorado. She was the granddaughter of Emil Anderson, proprietor of the historic Kneisel & Anderson grocery store in Georgetown – a family-owned and operated business since 1883. After graduating from high school in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Joanne returned to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. While at Boulder, she was an active member of the Chi Omega sorority, of which her mother was also a member and, later, her daughter, Cindy. Joanne met John Starbuck at Boulder, and they were married in 1951 after they graduated. John enlisted in the Navy, which required the newlyweds to move to New London, CT for two years. Joanne and John then returned to Colorado where they settled in Denver and John began an engineering career with the U.S. Dept of the Interior. Their only daughter, Cindy, was born in 1964, and they later moved to Centennial. Joanne was proud of her college degree, but she was even more proud to be a professional homemaker. She enjoyed home decorating, cooking, crafts, flower arranging, gardening and volunteering at the Assistance League of Denver. Joanne was an avid bridge player and played with one group of Chi Omegas for over 60 years.
Joanne is survived by her brother, John A McKelvey (“Jack”), her sister-in-law, Suzanne Lorenzo, her niece, Jo Ann (McKelvey) Blackford, and her daughter, Cindy (Starbuck) Grantham. A private service with family is planned for a later date.
