Evelyn R. Joyce

Of Buffalo Grove 

Evelyn (Evie) R. Joyce, 88, was born on January 29, 1931 in Chih Cheng (Beijing) China to Edin and Zoe (nee Oakes) Alfsen who were missionaries in China at that time; spreading the word of Christianity. She died Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at Belmont Village Assisted Living in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. 

Evie grew up in multiple locations with her Mother and four siblings as her father established a mission in China.   While staying with relatives in Trondheim Norway, WWII broke out and she witnessed the landing of the Nazis on Norwegian soil from a hillside near the farm where they lived.  Subsequently in China, her father was taken and held by the Chinese, who accused him of being a German spy.  Her mother used all her resources to get Evie and her four siblings on a boat to the USA. They entered through Ellis Island in 1942, and lived with relatives on a farm in Missouri.  Her mother wrote countless letters finally obtaining her fathers’ freedom.    

In her late teens, Evie settled in Rochester Minnesota and continued her education at Augsburg College.  After college, she landed a job as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines and met her husband Sheldon (Shelly), a pilot, at the boarding house where she was living.  They fell in love and married secretly since flight attendants were not allowed to be married at that time.  Evie and Shelly relocated to the Chicago area when Shelly partnered with another pilot to start their own flight school training students how to fly.  Evie saw a job opening at United Airlines and tenaciously pushed Shelly to apply.  He did and got the job as a pilot.  They remained in the Chicago area for the rest of their lives, with homes in Elk Grove Village, Arlington Heights and Buffalo Grove.  They had second homes in Rivera Beach Florida and Honolulu Hawaii. 

Evie enjoyed life as the wife of an airline pilot and traveled extensively around the US and globally.  She enjoyed dining out and loved to be “wined and dined”.  She always loved a good celebration and used to joke that she wanted her epitaph to be “My only regret in life is that I didn’t drink more champagne”. 

Evelyn is survived by her children Ronald S. (Cindi) Joyce and Peggy (Craig) Janssen; her grandchildren Patrick Kenny, Erin Kenny and Alexandra Joyce; as well as her nephews Blake Joyce, Doug Benike, Steven Alfsen, Scott Alfsen, Stuart Alfsen, John Alfsen, Tom Alfsen, Gary Alfsen and Greg Alfsen; and nieces Cathy Glidden, Debbie O’Connor, Patricia (nee Alfsen) Drinkwater.  

She was preceded in death by her spouse of 62 years Sheldon L. Joyce; her parents; her siblings Thelma Alfsen, Esther (late Donald) Benike, Thomas (late Patricia his firstwife, Chuni his second wife) Alfsen,  Jim Alfsen and John (Buddy) Alfsen; as well as her niece Donna Marie (late Herman) Eykens and nephews David Benike and Mike Alfsen. 

Memorial Visitation will be held Friday, February 7, 2020 from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Glueckert Funeral Home Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road (4 blocks south of Palatine Rd.), Arlington Heights, IL 60004. Interment will be private. 

Funeral Information and condolences can be given at www.GlueckertFuneralHome.com or (847) 253-0168