Joyce Faye Irvin
November 14, 1929 – August 5, 2022
Joyce Fay Irvin(nee Smith) passed away on August 5th at Camp Hill Veterans’ Memorial Hospital
where she had been residing for the past two and a half years. She is survived by her children Daniel, Pauline and Bernard, her four grandchildren, Abby, Alexa, Nicola and Danika and daughter-in law Wendy. She was predeceased by her son-in-law Mark.
Joyce was born in Sheet Harbour, NS on November 14, 1929. She was the younger daughter of Laune and Elsie Smith. Her older sister, Lena Malay predeceased her in 2021. Joyce and her sister were very close and maintained a close relationship over the years. Lena’s number was the one she remembered when dementia …contact throughout their lives.
As a young adult, Joyce moved to Dartmouth and was found “temporary” accommodation by her church minister with the Russell and Kay Collings of Dartmouth. This arrangement lasted for years and she became a member of the family. Russell and Kay were beloved grandparents to her children and their daughter, Elizabeth Ann, and her family continue to be an integral part in the lives of Joyce and her family.
She met her future husband, Leo Irvin, while working as a switchboard operator for the Canadian Coast Guard at Dartmouth Cove. In 1957 they were married at the United Church Manse in Sheet Harbour and made their home on Victoria Road in Dartmouth, where they raised their three children and lived their entire married life.
Joyce enjoyed working outside the home and worked at many different jobs throughout the years, ranging from the Army Reserves, retiring as a Staff Sergeant, to a weekend ward clerk at the VG Hospital, which she held for many years. She threatened to quit when computers were introduced but stayed with it and retired shortly after Leo.
After her husband’s death in 1996, she stayed in the family home for a decade and then moved to an apartment that was near Mic Mac Mall and had a bus stop out front. This allowed her to maintain her independence for many years. She knew every bus route in metro and would walk to Mic Mac Mall almost every day for something. In 2017 when her health began to falter, she became a resident at Parklands at the Lakes where she lived for two years. Changing health conditions necessitated her moving to Camp Hill where she was lovingly cared for until her passing.
Joyce loved to feed people and there was always a cup of tea and some type of sweet if she could not convince them to stay for a meal. Her door was always open. She always laughed that her favourite meal was anything cooked by someone else.
Joyce especially liked cooking for her granddaughters and taught them the joy of eating cottage cheese on toast and the importance of adding extra cheese to canned mac and cheese. She was fiercely proud and endlessly supportive of her granddaughters attending many events over many years throughout the Maritimes. (And once even to Japan.)
Joyce maintained many close friendships over her life, as was evidenced by the turnout at her 90th birthday. She loved attending Neptune Theatre and dining out with her friends.
We hope people will remember her kindness, her love of laughter and company, her continuing Leo’s Natal Day tradition of $5.00 bills and her shortbreads. She always said if one had nothing nice to say, then it was better to say nothing at all. Our mum was wise and we will miss her dearly.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Joyce Faye Irvin November 14 1929 August 5 2022..
Death notice for the town of: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia