Esmelda Joiles

Esmelda Joiles was born on October 4, 1942 in Ulster Spring, Trelawny, Jamaica W.I. In Calgary, Alberta on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at the age of 76 years, she went to be with her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She was greatly loved and will be sadly missed by her sister Una Joyles-Hyatt; fourteen nieces and nephews; thirty grandnieces and nephews; several great grandnieces and nephews as well as by her beloved church family and friends. She is predeceased by her parents Fredrick Joyles and Laura Miller-Joyles; sister Lena Palmer-Jarrett; brother Leibert Dempster; sister Meralda Miller and her brother Clement Joyles.

Esmelda is the last child of her parents and was a tender 6 years old when her mother died. She was then raised by her oldest sister Lena Jarrett in Spicy Hill, Trelawny. Her mother had suffered from a prolonged illness and had requested her sister Lena to raise Esmelda after her passing. Lena, being 18 years older than Esmelda, accepted the responsibility and ensured Esmelda graduated from Spicy Hill All Age School. At school she was known as a smart and studious student. As an adult, she left the rural area of Spicy Hill Trelawny to live in Kingston to make a better life for herself. During her time in Kingston, she became a member of the Wildman Street United Pentecostal Church International where she served her Lord faithfully. She was instrumental in ensuring that her nieces Audrey and Sandra, along with nephews Courtney and Samuel, attended Sunday school and church with her. During a time when many Jamaicans were migrating, she decided to leave her beloved Jamaica to live in Alberta, Canada. At that time, the normal means of communication was with hand written letters and she would write regularly to her sisters Una Hyatt and Meralda Miller who were living in New York until Meralda Miller’s passing in 2004. Thanks to Sister Bonito of Jesus Christ Apostolic Church of Calgary, Una was advised of Esmelda’s illness and kept them in touch even through Esmelda’s memory loss until her recent demise. Even though Esmelda was separated from her family by many miles, she was greatly loved and will be missed by all.

A Funeral Service will be held at Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic of Calgary, 2860 38 Street S.W. Calgary, Alberta on Friday, March 13, 2020 at 11:00 am followed by Burial at Queen’s Park Cemetery, 3219 4 Street N.W. Calgary, Alberta.