Joan Shide Jenstead

Graveside service will be held Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 11 a.m. in Bellevue Cemetery, Larimore.

Joan Shide Jenstead age 75, of Brookfield, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on September 25th, 2009 of complications related to esophageal cancer.

She was born April 12th, 1934, in Grand Forks, ND, the daughter of the late Alice (Barrett) and Joseph Shide. Joan was the youngest of 4 siblings. She was raised in Larimore, ND, where she graduated as valedictorian of Larimore High School's class of 1952. Following high school Joan graduated from the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Chicago, IL, and then attended the University of North Dakota where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. On June 19th, 1954, she married Robert Jenstead, also of Larimore, ND.

Joan graduated with an associate's degree in accounting from Waukesha County Technical College. She then spent the majority of her professional life assuming roles of increasing responsibility in the field of real estate management where she was responsible for the management of over ten thousand apartments and other commercial properties across the US and where she rose to the role of president of a large publicly-held real estate investment and development company. She is a past president of the Wisconsin Realtors Association. At the time of her death Joan was serving as the property manager for the Ten Chimneys Historic site in Genessee Depot, WI.

Joan had a true passion for education, and particularly for advancing the role of technical college education. For the last 26 years of her life she devoted her time and talent to supporting the growth and development of the Waukesha County Technical College where she served in almost every possible leadership capacity including serving 5 terms as chairperson of the Board of Directors. Joan also served as president of the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association and was selected by her peers as Wisconsin Board Member of the Year on at least two occasions. She was a longtime member of the Association's board of directors.

Joan represented Wisconsin at the national level through her service on the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors. She was elected to a partial term before being elected to the maximum two full terms. Among other national leadership roles, she served as chair of the Joint Commission on Federal Relations, the high-level federal policy body comprised of AACC (college presidents) and ACCT leaders. In recognition of her many achievements in advancing technical college education, she was awarded a lifetime membership in ACCT by the District Boards Association several years ago.

Joan was recognized not only nationally but also internationally for the role she played in advancing technical college education. Outside the US, she lead a partnership to share best practices with the technical colleges of the State of Hessen, Germany, that has resulted in a tremendous spirit of international cooperation and the advancement of the technical college programs involved.

In addition to her other public service, Joan supported the City of Brookfield by serving on the Economic Development Committee from 2002-2008.

Born to a farming family, Joan grew up with a love of gardening. That love was evident in the multitude of beautiful flower gardens that she personally planted and cared for that adorn her home in Brookfield.

Joan is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Robert; her sister, Mary Valacich of Great Falls, MT; her sister-in-law, Marijo Shide of Larimore, ND; her daughters and sons-in-law Kris Jenstead and Mark Turner of Madison, WI; Susan (Jenstead) Kreh-Quarrie and Glen Quarrie of Brookfield; and Mary (Jenstead) and Mike Lindstrom also of Brookfield. Joan was a loving grandmother and is survived by 6 grandchildren, Anna and Charles Jenstead; Kirsten and Katelyn Kreh and Jacob and Jeremy Lindstrom; as well as four step-grandchildren, Kristina and Samantha Gaugler and Chelsea and John Joseph Quarrie. Joan also leaves behind many special cousins, nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Alice and Joseph Shide; her sister, Patricia Shide; and her brother, Donald Shide.

Joan leaves behind a legacy of boundless energy combined with steely determination that made all challenges surmountable. She also leaves behind a cadre of friends and colleagues that meant the world to her.