Joyce Andre
July 06, 2008
- Share:
-
-
-
Service Details
Joyce Lynn Andre, 51, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family Sunday, July 6, 2008 at Taylor House. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at First Federated Church with burial at Glendale Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon St.
Joyce was born August 1, 1956 to Ray E. and Katherine Newman in Des Moines. She was the founder of the Deaf Awareness Walkathon. Joyce spent countless hours teaching sign language and was a volunteer in every aspect of the Deaf community. Joyce retired from the U.S. Post Office after over 20 years of service.
Joyce is survived by her companion of 24 years, Thomas Witt; sons, Joseph Andre and Adam (Lacy) Andre; grandchildren, Haley, Hannah, Emma and Ella; brother, David (Sharon) Newman; half sisters, Marilyn Nielsen and Linda Woito; nieces, Patricia McCoy and Kathleen Dean; and many other relatives and special friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Janet Dean; and grandson, Logan.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the family in loving memory of Joyce.
www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com
greg and cynthia dalen(class of 71)
07/08/2008
words cant really describe what we thought of joyce during her life on earth..joyce was such an inspiration to everyone she met with her sunshiny personality and driven attitude of being a great leader, friend, everything to family and friends everywhere.. joyce and i met at smouse school long long ago, that tall lanky blonde girl with a mischevious grin!
we last saw joyce at 150th isd homecoming weekend.. she came up to greg and told him to stay strong and think positively and had a picture taken with him and me, even tho she was ill.. we love her and always will remember her!
to her family, joyces legacy will always go on!how she loved her sons and grandchildren!
tom, you have made joyces life complete and happily for many years and may God bless you also..
we love and miss you, Joyce! this is not a goodbye, just "see you later" in Heaven.. may God bless you and your family.. Greg and CD Dalen
Nancy Stapp McCurdy
07/08/2008
I enjoyed knowing Joyce and having her tutor me in a Sign Language group. My sympathy and prayers are with her family. She was a very sweet lady.
Jan Fletcher
07/08/2008
You have my deepest sympathy. No word can really comfort you. But please know, my deepest prayers and wishes are with you and your family. May Joyce rest in peace without any pain.
Joyce was an inspirational person and I was very blessed to know her. I admired her and her fierce loyalty to Deaf/HoH people, speaking up for hers and their rights. I can not help but remember a quote by Winston Churchill, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Joyce always made time for anyone who needed support. She was a truly a great leader for our Iowa Deaf/HoH citizens.
Joyce will be missed very much and I will always remember her beautiful smile and awesome positive attitude.
"After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:17
God Bless you all!
Peace & Prayers,
Jan
susie amsbaugh ,slater ia
07/07/2008
Im sorry about my dearest friend shes in peacefully now .. She was so sweet person and I remembered of her several years .may her rest in peace ... Misses her .... always thk of her in my mind ... see her in heaven in future
ILY as my special friend joyce ..My thoughts and prayers to her and her families and you & your families.. give families , relatives and tom as my Hugs ..
mark & cindy allen
07/08/2008
To Tom & Joyce"s family- We are sorry for your loss and into grief...Joyce was the one who ispired me for who i (cindy) am today that she opened the doors for anyone that entered deaf world and I was the one. i wanted to thank her for all the MEMORIES we had together. Now you are in heaven and meeting Ron there will always be in our thoughts..God Bless you Joyce with our love Mark & Cindy Allen
Julie (Jacobs), (ex-Schnackel) Lahane
07/08/2008
To the families, relatives, & friends of Joyce Andre ...
My sympathy goes to them. My heart is really breaking when I learned the death of Joyce. I have had been known that she was suffering so much for some years but now she is at peace ... no more suffering this time. Now she is in a much happy and beautiful place where she meet God and Jesus Christ. She is such a lucky person.
Yeah I always remembered her at ISD that she was such a lively and little mischievous girl. She always had so much fun in her life during at ISD. I will never forget her for the rest of my life.
She was an excellent advocate and great leadership to all the deaf community and got involved with everything she could do. I really appreciated for her best effort and she will be missed by thousands of deaf people, especially hearing people of course. Yes, she was a godsend to all of us in Iowa.
Joyce, I am missing you and shall remember you in my memory as always. Once again, ILY my dear sweet-hearted friend !!!!!
Hugs, Julie Lahane
Christine Fick
07/07/2008
I will miss Joyce and she is now rest in peace. She was a great person and helped me in the past time when I was working at post office for temporary time and I am so glad that she is no more pain and now she is in heaven with her mother and some family. We love you too.
Thanks
Melissa L. (Cejka) Upchurch
07/07/2008
My deepest sympathy is extending to the family of Joyce Andre and Tom Witt. I was extremely blessed to have a good friend (a very wonderful relationship) with her. She will never be forgotten by me and thousands of people who really loved her so much. She was a TRUE and INSPIRED leader in the Deaf community and she made sure that someone was NOT left out! I was very much impressed about her positive attitude and being a big fighter when she was very critically sick. She had many wonderful qualities and examples that we can intimate her. Here is the scripture -- (Revelation 21:4) And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. We all will miss her very much!
Gale Thomas
07/07/2008
Dear Tom,Family, and Friends,
I am deeply sorry for the passing of Joyce. I know she will be sorely missed by all who know and love her. The last time I saw her was when she was here in California with Christine Cox (my former sister-in-law)and my ex-husband, Tim. Joyce volunteered her time with them and helped them understand what was communicated. I knew God was in the middle of all this because it took a lot of energy and time on Joyce's part.
Bless her heart and may she rest in peace.
Love,
Gale Thomas
Diana (Fenton)Johnson
07/07/2008
She was a wonderful lady. When we lived in Des Moines, Joyce and I had together sometimes and went to church together. She is no more PAIN. She is new home in heaven. Will see her in heaven.
We miss you, Joyce
Roger and Diana Johnson
Nj Mangrich
07/07/2008
Joyce will be greatly missed. She did wonderful job on founder of Deaf Awarness Walkathon with her strong believe and persist to continue annual Deaf Awarness Walkathon. She is very good leadership in deaf community. Even though leader always got her back stabbing but she didn't give up because she strong believe in this fund raising fund event from her dream. She has my respect and was true friend and was there for my mom. She never stop sending thinking of you cards to my mom when she was living in Des Moines and moved to Waterloo. She was a true caring person. I am sure God/Jesus has a place for her. Thank God for taking her from the pain she had even though she did not show how much she was in pain. She constantly worried about how precious deaf world is. Will always admire her.
Suzie Daggett
07/07/2008
To Joyce's family and Tom Witt,
Joyce will always be in our hearts and is now an Angel in heaven watching over her family and friends. I will always remember Joyce as a fighter, standing up for what she believed in and always helping others. A true leader in the Deaf community. She loved her family and friends and would do anything for them. It was an honor to know Joyce and I'll never forget her. Take comfort knowing that she touched many people's lives and is at peace with God.
My sincere condolences,
Suzie Daggett
Donald Miksell
07/07/2008
Joyce Andre has inspired me since we first meet at the post office and work for the last 20 year until her health is called. What a blessing she has greatly role for Leadership that guide people to look up at Joyce , as to include the Deaf Awareness, and many other thing she been in active. She was very tireless and look for motive idea , work , socially in state of Iowa , and of course she gave us and all the big smile, positive, and help on way to make it happen.
I am very blessed that I am her friend and she will be missed in heart of State of Iowa.
I believe one of her favorite song called old friend New friend and let get together has true inspired to many many people.
In honor of Joyce Andre
ILY
Donald Miksell
Tim McFarland
07/07/2008
I understand your pain and now you are home with Jesus. You are an angel now. Tom Witt and her family took such loving care for her. I send them my love and sympathy. Thank you to the famly for allowing me to talk with her on the VP. I loved her and will miss her friendship. God bless her and the family.
Tim
Gary & Susan Reeves
07/07/2008
WE ARE VERY SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS AND GONE BUT WE KNOW IT IS BEST TO LET HER GO AND PEACE BETTER THAN PAINFUL OR SUFFER AND WE WILL ALWAY MISS HER SO MUCH WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU FOREVER AND YOU ARE VERY GOOD POSTIVE PERSON AND HELP DEAF PEOPLE AND DEAF AWARNESS OR WALK -N- THON AND MANY MORE TOO AND ALSO SHE IS REALLY GOOD PERSON ,CHEER UP AND TEAM WORK TOGETHER TOO SHE DERSERVE IT AND WORK HARD FOR US I REALLY THANK GOD SHE IS WITH YOU JESUS IN HEAVEN AND PEACE. WE WILL ALWAY LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU TOO GOD BLESS HER LOVE MR.GARY AND SUSAN REEVES