Joan was born in Superior, Nebraska, on June 14, 1947, to John W. J. and Merle I. (Pedersen) Tomlinson. Her family lived in a number of towns and cities in Nebraska and the Midwest during her youth before eventually settling in Lincoln. From an early age, Joan exhibited an aptitude for art; after graduating from Lincoln Southeast High School in 1965, she earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in fine arts with a concentration in printmaking and graphics.
She married Richard L. White in 1983, and together they made their home in southwest Lincoln. For many years Joan worked in magazine printing, creating and overseeing graphic art on behalf of Quebecor Printing Co. of Lincoln. Joan’s personal work was often exhibited in area art shows. In 1976, she lent her illustrating talents to the book “Nebraska Women Hall of Fame,” published by the Nebraska International Women’s Year Coalition and in collaboration with author Peggy Volzke Kelley.
Joan was a lifelong feminist, was active in local, state and national politics, and was a leader of local and statewide women’s organizations. In the 1970s, she served on the Nebraska Commission on the Status of Women; she was a national committeewoman with the Young Democrats; and in 1975 she was listed in “Who’s Who in American Politics.”
She was very proud of her Danish heritage and was often trusted to lead initiatives promoting fellowship among fellow Danes, Scandinavian-Americans, and their descendants. She was president of the Norden Club of Lincoln Foundation, which awards scholarships and grants to people pursuing Scandinavian studies. She also served as past president of the Danish Sisterhood of Nebraska and was a familiar face among her fellow Danish Sisters at Danmarks Dotre Lodge No. 90’s meetings and celebrations of Danish traditions. She was honored in Omaha in 2021 as Scandinavian of the Year. In later life, she was a retail representative at HyVee.
She is survived by her husband, Richard L. White; brother, Mike (Mary) Tomlinson of Lincoln; sister, Pam (Douglas) Johnson of Lincoln; and sister, Linda Tomlinson of Ankeny, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers J. David, Phillip, and George Tomlinson.
A celebration of Joan’s life will be 2:30 Thursday May 11th at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2110 Sheridan Blvd, Lincoln, NE. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Norden Club of Lincoln.