After high school, Joan attended Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois for two years. She then enrolled in United Airlines' flight attendant school. After completing the intense, grueling UAL program, she got her wings, but she and a friend from San Diego told each other that they didn't intend to stick with a flying career. When they learned they were to be based in Newark, New Jersey, the friend returned to San Diego, and Joan returned to the Quad Cities, much to the disappointment of United. Joan later married Chuck Sladek, an Alleman High School graduate and Rock Island resident. Chuck worked for the federal government and was transferred to Hawaii - Joan's dream. They lived in Kailua for two years, and Joan said, "I never, never wanted to leave." Then Chuck came home one day and announced they were moving to Okinawa. The flight to Okinawa was nine hours. Chuck went ahead of her, and Joan says she cried all the way. Living on Okinawa was a drastic culture shock. She found herself wishing she could like it, but said, "It felt like the hell hole of the world." Joan says she decided, "If I can make it on Okinawa, I can make it anywhere." Eventually, she began working for the U.S. Government and got to know the locals, and it changed her whole perspective. She then found herself sad when they left Okinawa headed for South Korea. South Korea, she found, had the "nicest people in the world," and she once again experienced the four seasons. As it turned out, South Korea was a wonderful experience. Their three sons attended U. S. Department of Defense Schools, and Joan was worried that the boys would be behind when they returned to the U.S., but they were ahead of their classmates when they later moved to California. Joan and Chuck spent one and one-half years each in Okinawa and South Korea before moving to Southern California where she remains. After thirty years of marriage, she and Chuck parted, and he returned to Illinois, but they remain friends. Their three sons are married, and they are blessed with seven unique, beyond wonderful grandchildren ranging in age from three to eighteen years. The oldest son, Bob, is headmaster of a Christian school, and he and his wife, Lishar, have two children, Olivia and Noah. The middle son, Jim, works in the mortgage industry and wishes he could change careers right now! Jim and his wife, Eillene, have three children, Christina, Danielle, and Michael. Joan's youngest son, Tom, started his own flash drive business. He and his wife, Anita, are the parents of Anthony and Amanda. Today Joan's world is her work and her grandchildren. Her sons and their families reside in Rancho Santa Margarita, one of Orange County's newest communities. Joan is nearby in Lake Forest.
Joan tries to travel when possible. Her favorite trip was to
Kenya with a group led by a priest. Joan was part of the group
because she sponsored a child in Kenya. The child Joan sponsored
had dropped out of school, and her whereabouts were unknown,
thus Joan didn't get to meet her. She did get to visit an
elephant orphanage and Giraffe Manor outside of Nairobi. The elephant orphanage takes in baby
orphan elephants from all over Kenya and raises them together
until they are old enough to survive on their own.
Giraffe Manor serves as a home to a number of endangered
giraffes and operates a breeding program to reintroduce breeding
pairs into the wild. She also saw the location for the filming
of Out of Africa. "The flight was long but well worth it," she
says. Other trips Joan has taken were the result of her being "found" by eight of her college sorority sisters who meet annually in a different city. She joined those friends the past three years in Carmel, California, Chicago, where she was a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and San Antonio. Joan is still working, currently as executive assistant to the president at The Muller Company, a commercial real estate developer. Although she sometimes thinks of retiring, she knows it will be hard to leave after 15 years. Joan has been very happy with her work experiences over the years. After retirement, she will explore volunteering and traveling. It's been a good life, but she's still on her journey. She has two sisters in Illinois, and says it's wonderful connecting with classmates. She adds, "Maybe I'll have time for online social networking when I retire." Joan was in close touch with Joane Lincke for about a year after Joane's stroke. She still thinks of her often. She visited Jackie Staley Drain in her Texas community. Donna Dempsey Skowronski lives there as well, but was traveling at the time, and Joan didn't get to see her. Joan said there is no way she could return to a cold climate and intends to stay close to her sons and grandchildren. Fortunately, she enjoys good health. Joan enjoyed her high school days. She recalls many good times with friends Becky Anderson, Ginny Cale, Judy Phillips, Judy Muhleman, Susie Geifman, Susie Reed, Barbara Becke, and others. One of the best times was going to the state basketball tournament. It's a bit too early to know if she'll make it to the 50th reunion, but Joan would like to hear from friends and classmates at j.sladek@hotmail.com. |
