Joyce Elaine Hyson

A visitation will be held on January 3, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at Advantage Funeral and Cremation Services, located at 7000 West State Street, Rockford, IL 61102. The funeral service will follow on January 3, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm at the same location. A committal service will take place on January 3, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm at Willwood Burial Park, 7000 W State St, Rockford, IL 61102.

Joyce Hyson passed away surrounded by the love she spent a lifetime giving. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose presence shaped generations and whose love will never fade.

Joyce graduated from West High School in Rockford in 1958. Her first job was at a card shop in the old Rockford Plaza, a fitting beginning for someone who always had a way with words and sentiment. She later worked at Prudential Life Insurance before beginning a long and dedicated career at Bergner’s. Joyce retired after 36 years as a Supervisor at the Rockford distribution center, where she was known for her strong work ethic, leadership, and reliability.

Joyce married the love of her life, Don, on August 28, 1960. The two spent their first year of marriage in Champaign, Illinois, before returning to Rockford to start their family. In 1974, they moved to Winnebago, where Joyce continued to build a home filled with warmth, routine, and unwavering love.

She was an avid reader who could always be found with a book close by and took daily walks—her “Murphy miles”—that reflected her quiet discipline and appreciation for simple joys. Joyce found happiness in time spent with family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who were the true center of her world.

In recent years, Alzheimer’s slowly took pieces of Joyce from those who loved her most. While that loss was deeply painful, her family is grateful that she is now at peace. The love she gave so freely remains untouched by illness and lives on in every life she helped shape.

Joyce is survived by her husband, Don; her children, daughter JaneAnn (Troy) and son Steven (Heidi); and her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren:

Nicole (Tom) and daughter Julia; Shelly (Jesse), daughter Gracelynn, and stepsons Clay and Cash

Joshua (Amanda) and their children Summer and Sailor; Brianna (Juan) and their children Kyler, Teagan, and Maverick;

She was preceded in death by her parents, Merl and Myrtle Finley, and her siblings Lorraine, Bob, Jean, Lee, and Betty.

Joyce once wrote about “a special love” between a grandmother and the children of her children—a love given freely, returned a hundred-fold, and never lost. That love defined her life. She was deeply loved, and she will be missed beyond words.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider donating to one of the following causes close to Joyce: Noah’s Ark Animal Shelter, Northern Illinois Hospice, or the Alzheimer’s Association.