Joyce Annette Foster

Our beautiful and loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt; Joyce Annette (Young) Foster, passed away at the young age of 75 in her home in Gresham on December 29th, 2017. Per her wishes, a funeral will not be held. Rather, she will be cremated and her ashes will be spread in the places she loved most, along with being placed next to her best friend and twin sister, Janice Ann Snodgrass. The two together again. This will take place on their birthday, May 30th.

Joyce was born in La Grande, Oregon in 1942 to Richard Walter Young and Agnes Ruth (Gruis) Young. She graduated from La Grande High School and then worked at the telephone company for a short time. She moved to Portland in the 60’s and raised her four children there on her own. While in Portland, she worked for the Federal Government; first with the U.S. Forest Service and then the Social Security Administration. She retired in 2003 after 26 years of exemplary service with the Federal Government.

Joyce enjoyed several hobbies during retirement; knitting and crocheting, scrapbooking, and card making to name a few. She listened to Elvis, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, but Don Williams was her guy; her favorite movies were old westerns, World War II movies and anything with William Holden in it. If you were to visit her, you would see her TV tuned to the Hallmark channel and her favorite TV show, The Golden Girls, on. And, although it was difficult in the past few years, she could spend hours looking through the many Goodwill stores and craft stores around town. In the final year of her life, she discovered wine; thanks to a new friend and neighbor.

Joyce is survived by her children, Tami Travis and husband Bill, Darren Foster and wife Kimberly, Dennis Foster, and Daniel Foster; her much loved grandchildren, Becky, Steffanie, Dylan, Lyndsee, Blake, and Sydnee; great-grandson Xander; and her nieces Robyn Moore and Heidi Schultz. She was predeceased by her father, mother, and sister Janice.

The connection between Joyce and Janice was very powerful. Many times, they purchased the identical birthday card for each other or picked out the same glasses even though they were a few hundred miles apart. We will all miss her very much. But we know that the two sisters are together again, making mischief and keeping grandmas hands full, now and forever.

Joyce survived 19 years after a kidney transplant. We ask you to consider organ donation as a way to remember her.