Joanne Louise (Delph) Shinew, 93 of Bowling Green, Ohio died peacefully on June 11, 2025, at Brookdale’s Memory Care Center. During Joanne’s final years, she often got lost in time, forgot people’s names, and liked to sing (usually loudly and out of tune). However, to the end, Joanne maintained the same ready smile, quick wit, and fierce independence that characterized her long and happy life.
Joanne was born on April 5, 1932, in Pierre, SD. Her father, Cecil Delph, served as a teacher at the Haskell Institute (now the Haskell Indian Nations University), accompanied by her mother, Lucille (Loomis) Delph and her brother, Wilbur. When Joanne was still young, her family returned to Ohio to begin farming in Portage, OH. She spent most of her childhood on the family farm with Wilbur and her two younger brothers, Robert and James Delph.
After high school, Joanne attended technical school in Elkhart (IN) and worked as a dental assistant for Dr. Mercer in Bowling Green before marrying Wade (Bud) Shinew, her best friend and partner. Bud and Joanne spent the next 63 years together, first in Portage and later moving to BG. Together, they raised four daughters in whom they instilled the importance of family and friends, an acceptance of a wide variety of people, a strong work ethic, the value of public education, and the responsibility of helping others.
Bud and Joanne loved to travel and had many adventures in the U.S. and abroad. Joanne also enjoyed sewing, crafting, baking, decorating, and hosting holiday gatherings. Most of all, she relished time with her family. For many years, the Shinew home on Ranch Court offered their daughters, grandchildren, friends, and pretty much anyone else who walked through the door a welcoming and supportive space – as well as a drawer with freshly baked cookies.
Wade and Joanne were members of the United Methodist Church. They shared a love of music and sports and were long-time supporters of BGSU Arts and BGSU Women’s Basketball. Joanne served many organizations, including Girl Scouts, Wheeled Meals, Wood County Board of Elections and P.E.O. (Chapter EJ). She shared lots of laughs with friends through her Birthday Club and Loose Ladies.
Joanne is survived by her brother, James (Kay) Delph of Perrysburg, OH; her daughters: Michelle Shinew (Mark Gresham) of Columbus, OH; Cindy (Dick) Maas of Bowling Green, OH; Kim Shinew (Rich Weston) of Ouray, CO and Dawn Shinew (Rick Busselle) of Bowling Green, OH; eight grandchildren: Addie, Callie (Brad), Ben (Steph), Jon (Gabby) , Hannah, Luther, Will and Lucy; a growing number of great-grandchildren: Oliver, Josie, Finley, Scarlett, and Juniper; and many nieces and nephews.
The Shinew family is deeply grateful to the staff at Brookdale’s Memory Care Center for the care and affection they provided to Joanne and to Bridge Hospice for their support in her final weeks. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given in her memory to the BGSU Foundation’s Wade and Joanne Shinew Scholarship or P.E.O. Chapter EJ’s Book Scholarship. A private graveside service will be held at Portage Cemetery where Joanne will be reunited with Bud, who passed in 2016.Funeral arrangments have been entrusted to Dunn Funeral Home in Bowling Green. To share an online condolence with the Shinew family, please visit www.dunnfuenralhome.com.
