It's been almost 15 years now since your Warner's Warriors lost you.  

I still find Howard's End to be unbearably boring, but I have never forgotten your emphasis on the opening quote:. Only Connect.  

Those two words have guided my adult life. 

Because of your teaching, your incredible ability to help students understand how literature imparts human experience, I was able to grow and value the world in a way that was emotionally closed of to me before I had the enormous fortune of being your student.  I will never forget you, Joe Babe

It is with a heavy heart that I write this note.  I only recently learned of Mr. Warner's passing by means of google, as I had not been in contact for many years and wanted to find his contact information to send a holiday card.  I first met Mr. Warner, also known as â€œJoe Baby,â€ in the 8th grade at St. Johns CDS when he was my "study hall" teacher. To say I spent very little time at that point in my life studying doesn't really say it. I was a super mischievous kid and spent all of my "study" time planning practical jokes, executing pranks and crawling out the classroom window.  As disruptive as I often could be, Mr. Warner never overreacted, never ratted me out, never lost his sense of humor and most importantly never treated me like the immature child that I was.  
I then had Mr. Warner as a teacher for multiple years in high school for honors and AP English; during which time I caused much more mischief. I have fond memories of the years that he served as my teacher and mentor.  He was a man of honesty, honor and humor and he was a kindred spirit.  He believed in me before I believed in myself and he inspired me to want to do great things.  I attribute my admission to and graduation from an Ivy League institution to him.  He was one in a million and I only wish I could have thanked him for his invaluable contributions to my education, upbringing and the adult I finally became.
There are no words I can come up with which are adequate enough to pay tribute to â€œJoe Baby,â€ so I will close with a quotation from â€œOn the Night You Were Born,â€ a children's book (authored by Nancy Tillman) that I read to my daughters:
â€œFor never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
Has the world ever known a you, my friend, and it never will, not ever againâ€¦â€
Goodbye for now.  You are missed.
Amber Gifford (a.k.a â€œBAMBERâ€)

To Dear Ole Joe Baby, from your former(?) reprobates at McCallie. You were indeed a character, and never a boring class did you teach. Thanks

My son wrote me today when he learned of Joe Warner's passing.  Joe left a large hole to fill when he moved on from Lake Ridge Academy in Ohio.  He was a great teacher and influence at a difficult time in a young man's life.  Thank you Joe Warner for the lasting memories you left with your students.

In filling out an alumni survey for Lake Ridge Academy today, I was asked about memories of high school. Uncle "Joe Baby" Warner was one of them. It is with much sadness I found this memorial upon Googling him. I regret that we will not get to sit down together over that pint of ale, as he said he would do with each of us in the future if we did well on our SATs, and chat about university, life, and Mark Twain.  He might be surprised to learn my B.A. major was English, and I have an enduring fondness for Twain's writing. What will English student's do without his admonition to put modifiers "kissin' close" to the words they modify and his warnings of a "grindin' session" for misbehavior. Until we meet again, Uncle "Joe Baby", with fond memories and gratitude, I salute you.

It was with great sadness that I learned of Mr Warner's passing. I was a student of his from 1982-1987 while he taught at St Johns. He was one of my favorite teachers and had a lasting impact on my life - I will forever be grateful for his efforts and care while at St Johns. He was a thinker, teacher, and entertainer who drove his students to excel, and he inspired them through his appreciation of literature and life.

Mr. Warner was one of the greatest characters you will ever meet. He was a character, but more importantly he was a man OF character. I will never forget the kind words he shared with my parents during conferences that were later passed on to me. In his classroom he was never one to freely pass out praise, but behind the scenes he was a man who cared deeply for his students and for the written word. Joe â€œBabeâ€ Warner is one of only a handful of educators I still hear dispensing advice and guidance in my head today as a man of 35. I remember him fondly and only hope that he has forgiven our teenage angst.

Mr. Warner was not only one of my all-time favorite teachers but also one of my favorite people I've met. Many of my fondest memories from St. Johns were of his English classes. I loved how he showed his students respect and a genuine concern for our progress. He inspired me to want to become an English teacher some day in the hope that I could be as engaging and entertaining as he was in front of his students. Just being in his presence was a comfort, no matter what chaos was in our lives outside the classroom.

 My bossomfriend through 45 years Lis have lost Joe, it is difficult to understand. Joe and my husband Erik could talk through the hole night, and now there both are gone, they will talk forever. God bless you Joe and thanks for getting us to know you for so many years. Many greatings from the Hatt-family in Copenhagen, Denmark

My bossomfriend through 45 years  Lis have lost Joe, we are so sad to hear about it. We love Joe he was very speciel to us, and nobody could talk the hole night as Joe and my husband Erik, now both are death, but they are talking together for ever.
Joe we will never forget you, and Lis you know my heart is with you.

From the Hatt family in Copenhagen, Denmark.

God Bless you Joe..Love Jean Lovegrove Stone ...FL.

Lis, your best friend and the love of your life is gone. What a sad day for you and so many others including Roo and I. You and Joe brought so much joy into our lives.  The stories we could tell! Joe was the best of the best and a gentleman of all gentlemen. We will remember him always and the wonderful times we had in Savannah, Jacksonville, Key West.  Rest in Peace Joe you deserve it! Love, Roo & Con

Joe,

Meeting you over the past couple of years has been a true pleasure. You invited Kate, our children, and I into your home for a wonderful day.  You and Lis made us feel like we were part of your family.  It is memory of a special day and a special person that I will hold onto forever.  I know you meant the world to Kate and I know the feeling was mutual.  We are better for knowing you.  Your kind words and loving spirit will truly be missed.

Literature has lost a friend and champion, who believed that each one of us had the skill to be a great writer, even if we didn't necessarily believe that ourselves. In the twenty-odd years since I had the privilege of sitting in the back row of Mr. Warner's classroom, second desk from left, I have come to appreciate how remarkable my experiences had been.

My lasting memory of Mr. Warner is of him standing in the hall after the final bell rang to let school out. He is brandishing a stack of handouts and calling out in his sonorous voice to several of us, a "gang" in his parlance (constituting any group of two or more students):

JHW: Did everyone receive the canary handout?

Gang: Yes, you gave us the yellow handout in class.

JHW: No, those were the goldenrod handouts. These handouts are canary.

Little had we previously appreciated this color distinction, but this exchange captures the essence of Mr. Warner. He demanded precision in our writing and in our use of language, much the same way that he differentiated canary from goldenrod. Little did I know that writing skills I learned from Mr. Warner would serve me so well as a scientist, and the rules I learned so long ago resonate still. "This and that are not subjects," he would say. I have rewritten about half of these sentences so far, to avoid his disapproving gaze.

More important than the rules, however, I learned not to fear writing. After what must have been daily three-page papers on whatever topic happened to come to his mind (animal imagery in MacBeth comes to mind), I learned that I could confidently write about anything. In his subtle way, Mr. Warner was teaching me to craft arguments, to find evidence and draw conclusions.

Above all, Mr. Warner was passionate about literature, and he was tirelessly devoted to his students. How many other teachers tracked us down for the sake of a handout? Although I didn't appreciate this fact at the time, Mr. Warner was doing something remarkable simply by believing in each and every one of us. We all took something away from him. For me, I learned his passion for teaching and translated it into my own. How many of us can look back and say that we became teachers, in part, because of Mr. Warner?

I can safely say that everything I know about writing, I learned from Joe Warner. My only regret is that I didn't thank him when I had still the opportunity to.

Oh Mr. Warner...I am so saddened to hear that you have left us. I was just thinking the other day of your classroom and wondered how many boxes and how much time it must have taken to pack up your books when you retired. Hundreds and hundreds of well worn and highlighted and underlined pages, stacked higher than I could reach. Playfully you joked that Mike and I were "the do-nothing twins" in your class, though all three of us really knew how much you touched our writing souls and pushed us to want to know more. Forever you changed me as a writer and a lover of English and the classics. I only wish my children could have had "the experience" of you as their teacher. If a man is measured by the amount of people he has inspired and enlightened, you are at the very top. Cheers to you Mr. Warner!


Lis, Jan and Suzie,

My deepest condolences.  I pray God rains down peace during the difficult time and joy with remembering the many happy times with Joe.  Know that you are being lifted up in prayer.

As I sit here and read all the guest book comments, I wonder if Joseph â€œJoe Babeâ€ Warner knew the impact he was going to have on our lives. Did he ever realize that he inspired thousands of students to love literature in way that we never did before. Is he watching us now and chuckling as we recall all the great things he instilled in our young impressionable minds. The things that he taught us that will forever travel inside of us; making us realize down the road what he had truly done for us, his students at St. Johns. Maybe it was part of his master plan to push us, to give us many life lessons, to be a mentor through his stories, his fire and passion. Whatever the case may be, Mr. Warner, you were a great teacher and a great man and you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace â€œJoe Babe". You will be missed, however, please tell all the classics how lucky they are to finally have you by their side and that we said hello and Good Luck.

Miss you Joe. The only man who made Shakespeare learn able. I speak for all who was touched by your wisdom, you will be missed. Heaven is a lucky place with you. Love to the family.

dear joe,
you are one of those people who came into our lives for a reason.  your love of literature and teaching has inspired me to continue doing the same. i think of you often as i enact beowulf for middle schoolers.  thank you for teaching my boys so beautifully at st johns. you will stay with me.  peace to your family.

Mr Warner was a legend at SJCDS. As a middle schooler you looked forward to the day you would be ushered into his classroom and upon graduation you looked back with fond memories peppered with his brightly colored handouts and his impassioned readings from MacBeth, The Scarlet Letter and countless other classics. His charisma, energy and passion shown brightly everyday. It's in his classroom that I discovered my love of the written word. I volunteered to work on Afterthought in hopes of learning just a bit more from him. Mr Warner instilled in you a sense of worth, treated us young kids like young adults and inspired you to chase after your dreams. Peace be with you and your family. You will be missed but never forgotten.

It is with profound sadness that I learn of the passing of one of the most inspirational teachers from whom I have had the fortune to learn.  He instilled in me a love for literature and a passion for writing that I cherish to this day.  When I think of Joe Babe, which I often have over the more than twenty years since I left St. Johns, the memories of his humor and wit always bring a smile to my face.  I am grateful to have been taught by this amazing man, and I can only hope that a little of him shines in my own teaching.

Dearest Josie,

The 20 years I spent as your daughter in law were so special.  You making the seat beside you at the dinner table MY spot meant the world to me.  Holding your hand as we said the family prayer will always stay warm in my memories.  The kids and I said it the night you died, in your honor.  I know the last few years were strained, but I pray that you knew that I still loved you and cared deeply for you.  And it always made me so sad to hear how your health was failing and that spark you always had in your eyes was slowly fading.
I pray you are without pain, holding your head up, and talking the ear off the nearest angel. :)

I love you FarFar...I always have and I always will.

Pop Up

I am so upset to hear of Mr. Warner's passing. I remember the first day of his class in 9th grade, 1993. I thought, "Oh lord, I will never pass this class". Nine weeks later I was so excited to come to second period and sit in the 3rd row, next to last seat! Mr. Warner taught me the love and passion for literature throughout the years. I read "Tom Sawyer" prior to coming to his class and when I heard I would be reading it AGAIN, I seriously thought, "Yep, gonna skip 2nd period". I went the day we began to read it. Let's just say, I NEVER MISSED A DAY OF HIS CLASS! 
Thank you Mr. Warner for passing on your love of literature, correct grammar and wise insights. YOU WILL BE MISSED...

Here's to a great teacher! Thank you Joe. 

I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.
Mark Twain

When I first met Joe Warner, I had spend a summer trying to understand Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Joyce), and was VERY frustrated.  Twenty minutes with Mr. Warner changed that for me.  He was the best and most motivating teacher I ever had.  That year he called me "Little One" and my bestest pal, Andrew, "Andrewfuss".  We still call eachother that.  He suggested that if we were stuck in our studying that we call him, and we did. Sometimes in the middle of the night, which he never read us the riot act for.  He wasn't just smart and insightful, he was able to teach that to others. Without question he was the best teacher I have ever had and I hope that the teaching I do is worthy of him.

Mr. Warner was one of my favorite teachers at St. Johns.  He was a true gentleman and I loved his classes.  Thank you for being an amazing teacher, Mr. Warner.  Peace to you and your family.

I'm absolutely devastated to learn of Mr. Warner's passing. He truly was my favorite teacher and I learned more from him about writing, literature and life than any other teacher or professor I had in my academic career. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and all his students who I know are grieving as I am now. Joe Baby, you made a wonderful positive difference in my life and, I'm certain, in the lives of all that you touched. You will be missed. God bless.

Mr. Warner was such a special english teacher.  He taught some of my most cherished English memories.  I will truly miss him.  He was she a sweet man.

My sincere condolences to Joe's wife, Lis, her children and grandchildren and to Joe's family. Lis and I both grew up in Denmark. From Jytte Vogeley

Dearest Joe,
    you were a good Man and a good friend and saw only the best in people. I am sad to hear you are no longer here on earth with us, but you absolutely live on in all the minds and hearts of the students you taught and the people you befriended. God Bless and keep you and hopefully know you are deeply loved and will be missed. Cyndi Conaway

I fell in love with the classics Mr. Warner taught us at St. Johns - Mark Twain, Nathanial Hawthorne, William Faulkner, Robert Frost and many more.  As an editor of The Afterthought, sponsored by Mr. Warner, Chris Millward, Katy Crum and I followed Mr. Warner's mantra; urging students to express themselves and promoting creativity.  To this day, I encourage my daughter and others to be creative and take that road not taken knowing, thanks to Mr. Warner, that it will make all the difference. 
  
Mr. Warner helped build the core of my lifetime love of literature and as I remember each classic, I will remember Mr. Warner. He is as unforgettable as the great writers he taught.  Peace to his family from one of the St. Johns family.  He will be missed but never forgotten.

On a field, sable, the letter A gules.

Lesley Davidson
SJCDS c/o 1984

So sorry to hear of Mr. "Joe Baby" Warner's passing. He was an amazing English teacher, whose lessons I still remember today, 20 something years later. As a teacher, I can only dream of impacting my students in such a way.

Over the years, I have come to realize what a tremendous positive influence Mr. Warner has had on my life.  I have no doubt that much of what I am capable of I owe to him.  I am sad to learn of his passing, but proud to have been one of his students.

Joe Warner was the man responsible for adding the word â€œbehoveâ€ to my vocabulary, and every time I use it, with a dramatically extended flourish, I remember him. He was a champion of the written word, who relished the lyricism and wisdom of James Joyce and Mark Twain. He shared this passion with his students and in doing so, showed us how to make books our own.

Still, what I learned from Joe Warner was more than words. He taught me, perhaps unwittingly, that there is a balance of confidence and humility required to accomplish great things. He never judged me. Still he maintained a fierce aversion to acting without thinking, which helped temper the baser, animal instincts of my adolescent years. In the end, I was more a man than a boy.

Ultimately, Joe Warner was one of the teachers in my life that I most yearned to impress, to justify the faith and pride he showed in me, and in some way to verify for him and myself, that a life of the mind, punctuated and enhanced by literature and philosophy, is a life of value, both to yourself and to others. In the future, when I read to my children, I only hope I can make the words live the way â€œJoe Babeâ€ did for me. 

This moment, Joseph Warner's passing, behoves me to say, â€œThank you, sir. Mmmm, yes â€¦ Carry on, good man!â€

I owe such a great debt to Mr. Warner. In a very real way, he taught me how to think. Easily the most influential man I've ever met, who had a profound impact on my life. Very sad to hear of his passing. Very blessed to have been taught how to be a thinking adult at such a young age by such an amazing man. You will be remembered by many, and surpassed by few. Adieu, Joe Warner.

I have very fond memories of "Joe Babes" Warner. He was simply one of the best English composition teachers one could ever have had the fortune to have.  I owe to him the ability to write a well-crafted, analytical essay or paper. I also owe him for two "5's" on AP English tests. What he taught me about writing got me through many college papers and continues to shape how I craft any critical writing I must do.  Mr. Warner was simply one of the most influential teachers I have ever had, and I will offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for the gifts he imparted to his students: love of literature and of the English language. Rest in peace, Joseph Warner. You will be missed.

Oh, my dear Mr. Warner...it makes me sad beyond belief to say goodbye to you; you were not only a wonderful and beloved teacher of English when I attended St. Johns but you were a beloved character and unique human being who has lived on in my memories for over twenty years now...long after leaving high school. I remember vividly visiting the campus to buy textbooks a few days before the start of my junior year, and stopping by your classroom - checking out the new English teacher. I was amazed and impressed by the bookshelves that lined your classroom walls, the rocking chair that took pride of place in the room, and the picture (photograph?) of you with Mark Twain. "This is one weird dude," I remember thinking that day. And I loved every minute of the time I spent in your classroom. You allowed me to check out from your classroom library and read for extra credit "The Catcher in the Rye" - and I remember our class project debating each other over The Scarlett Letter...an opportunity I took great relish in participating in as I raked poor Dimmesdale over the coals. Oddly enough, just this afternoon my own son - a high school junior - confessed to not ~actually~ reading The Scarlett Letter earlier this year when it was assigned, relying on the Spark Notes online, and I thought of you, and was sad for my son's missed opportunity to read and study this great novel the way I was able to with you. 

Godspeed to you, Joe Babe. Thank you for your presence and influence in my life...you will surely be missed. 

Stephanie Sims Lind, Durham, NC

Oh, my dear Mr. Warner...it makes me sad beyond belief to say goodbye to you; you were not only a wonderful and beloved teacher of English when I attended St. Johns but you were a beloved character and unique human being who has lived on in my memories for over twenty years now...long after leaving high school. I remember vividly visiting the campus to buy textbooks a few days before the start of my junior year, and stopping by your classroom - checking out the new English teacher. I was amazed and impressed by the bookshelves that lined your classroom walls, the rocking chair that took pride of place in the room, and the picture (photograph?) of you with Mark Twain. "This is one weird dude," I remember thinking that day. And I loved every minute of the time I spent in your classroom. You allowed me to check out from your classroom library and read for extra credit "The Catcher in the Rye" - and I remember our class project debating each other over The Scarlett Letter...an opportunity I took great relish in participating in as I raked poor Dimmesdale over the coals. Oddly enough, just this afternoon my own son - a high school junior - confessed to not ~actually~ reading The Scarlett Letter earlier this year when it was assigned, relying on the Spark Notes online, and I thought of you, and was sad for my son's missed opportunity to read and study this great novel the way I was able to with you. 

Godspeed to you, Joe Babe. Thank you for your presence and influence in my life...you will surely be missed.

R.I.P. "Joe Babe" Warner...English will never be the same. You taught me all about the English language and history of the great classics. I appreciate all that you did for me and my classmates at St. Johns!!! You will be missed!!! God Bless-Michele c/o 1988

R.I.P Mr. Warner, English will never be the same.....

To Whom it May Concern,

It is with great sadness that I learn about the passing of Mr. Warner.  I had the pleasure of attending Mr. Warner's classes from 1996-2000 at St. Johns Country Day School.  Mr. Warner had a great impact on my life.  As a bored, frustrated high school student who never felt like he fit in, I took solace in weekly conversations with Mr. Warner.  He was one of the more interesting human beings I ever met.  He convinced me that a life of the mind was not just a luxury, but a vital part of the human experience.  Mr. Warner understood the adolescent mind and how to shape it productively.  He was a champion of the humanities.  Through him I was exposed to some of the great works of the Western literary canon.  His lectures on Mark Twain were beautiful, simple, and elegant.  In fact, I can scarcely remember better lectures in the Ivy League university I attended.  Mr. Warner played a large part in getting me there and in  making me the man I am today.  

I hold his family in my thoughts and wish him a peacefully rest.

Sincerely,

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Joseph H Warner

1 juillet 1939 – 14 décembre 2011

Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home

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