Barbara JoAn Burnette

Barbara “JoAn” Burnette, 91, a longtime resident of Fountain City (Knoxville), Tennessee until her recent relocations to Mount Juliet and Nashville Tennessee, passed away peacefully on August 24, 2023 at Life Care Center of Hickory Woods. She was a member of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City since the early 1970s and an avid gardener and community volunteer. She worked as an Executive Assistant to the owners of Williams Limestone in the 1960s and spent time as a stay-at-home mother and community volunteer with the Fountain City Garden Club until she joined the Office of the Mayor of Knoxville in 1984 through 1987 as an Executive Assistant. She then served as the Republican Party representative employee at the Knox County Election Commission until her retirement in 1996. During retirement, she stayed busy with remodeling rental houses in the North Knoxville area as long as her health permitted and enjoyed boating on the East Tennessee lakes during her summers. She moved to Middle Tennessee to be closer with her family in 2015 and transitioned to Maristone of Providence at Mount Juliet Assisted Living in 2020 and then residing at Life Care Center until her passing.

She was preceded in death by her spouse of 38 years, John Edwin Burnette; and her parents, Elmer J. Johnson and Nellie Ruth Brobeck Johnson.

She leaves behind one child, John Martin Burnette of Murfreesboro; her only grandchild, Faith Erin Burnette of Sparta; a cousin, Trish Ownby Burnette of Knoxville; and her siblings, Charles Edward Johnson, Lee Roy Johnson, Betty Jo Wiggs, Glenda Sue Gann, Shirley Reynolds, and Raymond Eugene Johnson, all of Tennessee. Other special friends were William (Bill) Clark and his daughter Rebecca Clark, both of North Knoxville.

A visitation for Barbara will be held Monday, August 28, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Berry Lynnhurst Funeral Home, 2300 West Adair Drive, Knoxville, TN 37918. The graveside service will be held at 1pm on Tuesday, August 29, across the street at Lynnhurst Cemetery where she will lay at rest next to her husband, John. Rev. Ron Mouser will officiate.

For any donations in lieu of flowers, please consider her favorite charity, the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley (humanesocietytennessee.org) in her memory. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.berrylynnhurst.com for the Burnette family..