Joanne “Joannie” Graves-Kraase

Joanne “Joannie” Graves-Kraase, nee Cole, passed away peacefully on April 19, 2024, in Bradenton, Fla., at the age of 83. She was born on June 14, 1940, in Chicago.

Before moving to Bradenton, she resided and made many lifelong friends in Skokie, Arlington Heights, Glenview, Ill., and Boulder Junction. Joan was known for her love of friendships, conversations and sharing stories and daily walks. Joan was a fantastic life-long cook who enjoyed owning and running the Brown Bag in Glenview for 15 years while entertaining and sharing her culinary creations with many friends and loved ones.

Joan is survived by her husband of 30 years, Gene Kraase; her children: Jeff (Linda) Graves, Julie (Don) Engels, Jennifer (Randy) Zimmerman-Comer; Gene’s children: son-in-law Paul (Jolanta) Will, Wendy (Tom) Swinsky, Kelly (Tom) Becker; 15 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and another arriving soon; sisters: Virginia Harris and Kathy Deyo. She was preceded in death by her first husband of 32 years, Thomas Graves, her parents Harry and Geraldine Cole, her brother Bob Cole, and step-daughter Kim Will.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or St. Vincent De Paul Thrift Store (Bradenton, Fla.) in her memory. Joan will be dearly missed by all who knew her, but her memory will live on in the hearts of those she touched.