Joyce was born February 7, 1926, the youngest daughter of William and Jessie Neilson, who immigrated from Scotland.  She and her sisters Flora, Elizabeth and Gladys were all raised in Tacoma.

With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the country was at war and 16-year-old Joyce joined the Civil Defense.  She was to be a messenger who would be expected to ride a bike to deliver messages if there were power outages.  She was issued a gas mask but years later she joked she was still waiting for them to issue her bicycle.  She was proud to have been a "Rosie the Riveter."

Joyce graduated from Lincoln High School and from the first dental assistance course at Bates Vocational School.  She worked as a dental assistant and a variety of part time jobs as well as a variety of volunteer work.  She and her husband Bob raised four children in a busy household.  She also provided additional caregiving for family members.  Her life was full with family activities including bowling leagues.  In her later years, she and Bob enjoyed a variety of trips.  She is the last of our family's Greatest Generation and will be missed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, sisters, and her two-month-old daughter Lucinda.  She leaves behind her four children, four grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.