Obituary of Joyce Harriott
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Joyce Louella Harriott (Belcher) at Rotary Manor on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at the age of 85 years. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Born into a musical family of ten children, she learned to play guitar and accordion. She played and sang at country dances as a young girl and teenager, with her brothers. Over the years, whether it was a reunion or just friends getting together, she always played and sang and had so much fun doing it.
When she was 17, she met the love of her life, Ray. And they were married on October 9, 1953. They lived in the Dorintosh – Meadow Lake area for a few years before moving to Dawson Creek in 1960. Louella was born in 1954, Marilyn was born in 1957 and Holly was born in 1960.
Joyce was a loving mom to the girls and got to stay home with them for many years. She did everything from sewing Barbie clothes, playing softball with them, teaching them card games and how to dance, listening to country music on the old 33 records over and over again.
As Ray’s job as a truck driver took him away from home a lot, she decided it was time to get a job when the girls were older. She started at Jack Patterson’s Menswear and ended her working life at Zellers. She was well liked and made many friends over the years.
She was an excellent cook and baker. Growing up, the girls always had fresh baking buns and the best potato salad. Her buns, pies, and potato salad were always requested at any function they went to.
Joyce and Ray loved the country life and rodeos. For about ten years, they went to the Ponoka Stampede with Marilyn and Marty, and had the same seats every year.
After retirement, they started going to old time country jamborees and were gone almost every weekend. It seems those years were some of the best for them. They made many friends during that time. Joyce would happily bake 4-5 pies to take along for their friends to have after the days music was over. Friends soon learned to check the microwave, that’s where she stored a pie. Ray laughingly complained there was never enough for him.
They moved to an acreage in 1978 on the Alaska Highway and only moved to town when health issues became a challenge for them in 2018.
Joyce was a loving wife and partner to Ray, sharing life’s ups and downs. She was a special loving mom to her daughters and their families with their endless hugs whenever she saw them.
She leaves to mourn her loving husband Ray; her daughters Louella (Gary) Dokken, Marilyn (Marty) Wolfe, and Holly (Dillon) McNeely; grandchildren Ray Roth, Tamara and Kayle Christensen, Steve McNeely and Jamie Moat; great-grandchildren Ellie, Maiya, Hunter, Dillon, Aislee, Tamara, and Lacey. She will be loved and missed but never forgotten.
For friends so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Joyce to the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia, #300 – 828 West 8 Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 1E2.
Very Respectfully, Reynars Funeral Home & Crematorium
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Joyce
Harriott 1935 2021..
reynars funeral home & crematorium
Death notice for the town of: Dawson, Province: Colombie britanique