Joyce L. Dean

Joyce Marie Lee Dean was born October 1, 1938 to Lloyd Leonard and Mary Lou Lee in Pensacola. She was the second child of four. She married Peter Dean and they had three children, Terry, Rene’, and Michael. She was preceded in death by her brothers, Delvin and Bill, and is survived by her husband Pete, all their children, and her sister, Libby. She and Pete were also blessed with 23 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Joyce and Pete were married the year after high school. Pete was in the Air Force and they moved quite a lot. They moved to Lake Charles where Terry and Rene’ were born, then to Maine, Georgia, where Michael was born, and on to Colorado, Germany, New Mexico, and Massachusetts before Pete retired. They returned to New Mexico for another 28 years before finally returning to Pensacola in 2004 to spend time with her parents in the final years of their lives. Joyce worked as a wife and homemaker until she was almost 40 and then had part time job as a librarian and editor’s assistant. Several years later she graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor’s degree and then a Master’s degree. She worked for nearly 20 years as a Mental Health counselor and college instructor, work in which she took great pride and invested much time and energy. In her later years she loved to volunteer at church, hospice, and the public schools while always making time plenty of time for her growing extended family. These details are just the framework of her life. It was filled in with deep devotion to God and her family, as you will hear a little later. Joyce was always in motion, rarely having the ability to sit very long without doing something. If love is a verb, which it is, it can be seen in what a person does. She attended church to show her commitment to God and spent her time and money on her family. Joyce was not a perfect person, she indeed had many faults. But she inspired and encouraged her children and grandchildren to accept Jesus as their Lord, just as she had done. Joyce trusted that Jesus would stand next to her some day and say, “this one is mine, charge all her sin to me, I have already paid the cost.” And that day has finally come, but come too soon, come with tears and sighs, and prayers. We will trust her to the God whom she trusted in. Let all God’s people say, Amen.

Tributes

Joyce L. Dean

October 1, 1938 - October 10, 2024