Joan M. Hartnett

Joan Marie Hartnett, 84, of Boise died early Thursday, December 15, 2022 at home with her family nearby.

Joan was born to Emmett and Nelda Hartnett in Weiser, Idaho. She would eventually gain a younger sister (Jeanette) and brother (Gary). They were raised on a farm during the 1940's and 50's. Joan was especially intelligent and would eventually go to college at Idaho State University and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college she moved with some friends to Salt Lake City and got a job with Hercules Powder Company in the Missile industry.

Joan would return to Idaho when she had her son Steve, and live in Boise. There she went to work for the Boise Cascade Company. Shortly afterwards, she took a training seminar by IBM and was one of the very few women attendees, which lead her in to mainframe computer programming with Blue Cross of Idaho. She was very proud that she was one of the earliest female computer programmers. She would spend the rest of her working career developing and managing computer systems for them.

Besides her work career, Joan was an avid reader, especially of world history. It was her lifelong dream to see the places she read about and would eventually travel to over 60 countries, some more than once. She was especially fond of London, Africa, and Egypt. Along with travel, she loved to swim, garden, watch sports, help with the Idaho Historical Museum, The Meadows HOA, and in her later years became a NASCAR enthusiast. Her favorite driver was Brad Keselowski and would eventually see him with her son at the Las Vegas Speedway and Talladega Super Speedway.

Joan said in her final days that she felt she accomplished all the things she wanted to in life as far as career, hobbies, travel, friendships and family. She will be greatly missed.

Joan is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Heidi Hartnett of Boise; a sister and brother-in-law, Jeanette and Charles Drouillard, a niece, Cheri Ohlhauser and her husband Dennis all of Meridian, her cousins, Gloria and Bob Hogg of Weiser as well as several other cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Emmett and Nelda Hartnett and her brother, Gary Hartnett.