April 21, 1933 – June 25, 2021
at the age of 88 years:
Born in 33, Married at 22, Year of Marriage 55, Years Married 66, Passed at 88
Joyce was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba to Letta Jane Wendt and Philip Heiminack Green.
Joyce was working in a restaurant when she met then married, at 22, a handsome young military Frenchman, Jacques Jean Dubois – while his unit was stationed at Southport Airfield, just outside of Portage la Prairie – on May 14, ‘55. Jacques, better know as Jim to townsfolk, is from Montreal, Quebec.
The first son, Philip, was born in Portage la Prairie not long before the new family went to Germany as part of Dad’s military service. Patrick, the second son, was born overseas in Germany, but the family soon returned to Canada, to Quebec City this time. That’s where the third son, Robert, was born eleven months after Patrick was born. The fourth son, Terrence, was also born in Quebec, in a small town called Loretteville, on the outskirts of Montreal. After a few years, the family moved back to Portage la Prairie, so the family can be with Joyce’s mother.
Once the children were old enough to go to school on their own, Joyce began working at the Portage la Prairie Campbell’s Soup factory. With several years of work experience under her belt, Joyce gained employment at the Portage la Prairie Mutual Insurance company. There, Joyce ran the mail room, which took up the entire basement of the building. Joyce was in charge there for many years.
In 1988 Joyce and Jim moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Joyce enjoyed working at the Golden Door senior’s care facility in Winnipeg before retiring.
Joyce and Jim spent their early retirement years walking – rain or shine, summer or winter, it didn’t matter, they walked Winnipeg – and had coffee with other seniors doing the same.
In 1999, Terrence and Shirley-Ann invited Mom, Dad and brother Robert to visit them in Salmon Arm, BC. Joyce developed a warm and welcoming feeling for this little town in the Shuswap. In the year 2000, Joyce and Jim moved to Salmon Arm. In 2001, Robert moved to Salmon Arm as well.
Joyce’s health in Salmon Arm was fine for the first several years, but then health challenges began to arrive. Facing several health challenges bravely, Joyce was always willing to walk every day. For twenty years, Joyce enjoyed walking with Jim at the Salmon Arm wharf.
Joyce led a life of true innocence, hard work and endless devotion to her family and the home.
She will be sadly missed by family, friends and fellow parishioners.
Mom; We will miss you so very much.
We are so glad that we were able to see you on the internet
Being so far away and in my condition we could not come in person.
Sharon found this and thought it was very appropriate for you.
It’s called “God’s Garden”
God Looked around His garden and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth,
and saw your tired face.
He put His arms around you,
and lifted you to rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful,
He always takes the best.
He knew that you were suffering,
He knew you were in pain, He knew that you would never get well on earth again.
He saw the road was getting rough, and the hills were hard to climb,
so He closed your weary eyelids, and whispered,
“Peace be thine”
It broke our hearts to lose you, but you didn’t go alone,
for part us went with you, the day God called you home.
You will be sorely missed,
Until we meet again,
We Love you.
Oh Mother, dear, sweet, loving, innocent and devoted Mother, how I loved you, how I love you.
For 88 years, the world was blessed with a daughter from heaven, a shining example of how we can all live life with simple faith and love for others.
Love is; willing the good of the other, as other.
Mom sacrificed for her family, she endured plenty of troubles and challenges and she never let us down, or turned us away.
Mom was always working day and night for her family. Mom had the most patients of us all and when her patience ran out, we ran out, of the house.
If Mom ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.
Mom taught us all the common-sense lessons of life and reminded us how very lucky we were and still are.
I’m so grateful for you Mom and I will love you forever.
See you in heaven, Mom!