Obituary of Joan Jennewein

Long-time Tampa civic and arts leader Joan Wilson Jennewein, 87, died on Friday, Nov. 22, 2019, following a stroke at her home in Beach Park.

Jennewein was an early and passionate advocate of historic preservation in Tampa, leading efforts to revitalize Ybor City, renovate the Tampa Theatre and restore the landmark streetcar line.

She co-founded Tampa Preservation Inc. in 1973 and was the first chair of the City of Tampa’s Historic Preservation Commission. Much of her work focused on Ybor City, where she was president of the chamber, chaired the 1986 centennial and was instrumental in the distinctive lighting along 7th Avenue.

But her favorite project was the revival of the TECO Line Streetcar, with its fleet of picturesque restored trolleys.

“I was very excited about the thought of reconnecting Ybor and Tampa as it used to be,” she told the Tampa Bay Times after the restored streetcars began running again in 2002.

Thanks to her pioneering efforts in Tampa, she was recruited to lead efforts at the state and national levels, serving as founding president of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, and later on the National Trust for Historic Preservation board.

Jennewein was born in Blakely, PA, a suburb of Scranton, and grew up in nearby Clarks Green. She graduated from Syracuse University, where she met her husband, architecture student Jim Jennewein. They were married in 1953, and lived in Germany and the New York City area before moving to Tampa in 1960.

As her husband built a successful architectural practice, which designed Tampa’s central library and Straz Center among other landmark buildings, Jennewein actively promoted the arts. She was a founding member of Friends of the Arts, a trustee of the Tampa Museum of Art and chair of the Opera Tampa League.

Her efforts to preserve Tampa’s historic past and promote contemporary arts resulted in numerous civic awards, including the Cultural Contributor Award from the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, the Carl Weinhard Award from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation and the D.B. McKay Award from the Tampa Historical Society.

In later years, the Jenneweins spent much of their time at a beloved beach house on Manasota Key, south of Venice.

She is survived by her husband and her four children, Chris Jennewein (Emily) of Del Mar, CA; Gigi Jennewein Fenlon (Bill) of Greencastle, IN; Donald Jennewein (Leslie) and Jonathan Jennewein (Allison) of Tampa; as well as 11 grandchildren.
 

A celebration of her life is for planned for Jan. 2 at The Cuban Club in Ybor City from 4-6:30 p.m. The program of remembrance will begin at 4:30 p.m.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  For additional information contact gigi.jennewein@gmail.com