Outstanding Leadership in Queens
2007 Honoree of the Queens Federation of Churches
Joan Barnes
Joan Barnes was born in Canada, in Edmonton, Alberta.
The family moved to Toronto when she was 10 and she received most of her
education there. She graduated from Victoria College, University of Toronto,
in 1951 with a B.A. She and her husband, Leonard, moved to Queens in 1957
and three years later bought a small retail fish market, which eventually
became London Lennie's, a full service restaurant that seats 200. They
raised three children, Wendy an attorney, Leslie who runs the restaurant,
and Jennifer also an attorney. Joan was widowed in 1986. Joan has seven
granddaughters.
Joan served on the Board of the Queens Museum of Art
for nine years, the last year as Board President. She is presently on
the Board of Flushing Council on the Arts/Flushing Town Hall, the Board
of Musica Reginae, a classical music organization, and is also on the
Board of the Church-in-the-Gardens in Forest Hills.
Joan continues to work in the restaurant. She and her
son, Leslie, are both active in the community. Her son serves on the Board
of Visions, a service for the blind, and is on the Board of Cross County
Bank. London Lennie's plays host every year to a group of young teenagers,
giving them dinner and tips on formal dinner etiquette. London Lennie's
supports local soccer teams. It raises money for Muscular Dystrophy and
supports many of our local school and church organizations.
Joan has always felt Queens was a great place to raise
children and to have a business. Her children all went through the New
York City public school system and did well. She is grateful to all the
hard working people from so many different countries who make their living
in Queens, to the churches that do so much good, to the arts organizations
that give us music and drama and art, and to the politicians, who don't
get enough credit, who all help to make Queens a good place to live.
Joan loves traveling, photography, reading and watching
"Law and Order" on TV.
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