Joyce Staba Sims

Joyce Louise Staba Sims passed away peacefully at the age of 92 on December 10, 2020 at the Poydras Home in New Orleans. While her passing is sorrowful, we are comforted knowing that she is joining Julian in Heaven!

Joyce was a lifelong resident of New Orleans and Metairie. She was born on September 23, 1928 in New Orleans to the late Walter Nicholas Staba and Louise Voerg Staba. She graduated from Sophie Wright High School and Newcomb College. Following her graduation, Joyce worked in the elementary schools of Newman and St. Martins before she started her family. Joyce was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, mother in law, daughter, sister, friend, and follower of Jesus Christ. A caring, thoughtful, and wonderful woman, Joyce loved her husband, three sons, extended family, and many friends. As a pianist, she was an avid music lover and regularly attended the symphony and opera. She loved listening to and singing along with church hymns, opera, Prairie Home Companion, and classic New Orleans tunes. Some of her greatest pleasures were hosting family seafood dinners, participating in MCC lady golfer lunches, attending book club get-togethers, golfing, and boating. She was an avid reader and volunteered as a docent at the New Orleans Museum of Art for many years. Foremost, she was a dedicated Christian and would return home from Trinity Episcopal Church enthusiastically singing praises and exclaiming “Thanks be to God!”. Rest in peace, Joycie!

She was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church, the New Orleans Museum of Art, Metairie Country Club, St. Martin’s Episcopal School, St. Augustine Episcopal Church, and the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony. Joyce was preceded in death by: her loving husband of 66 years, Julian Hallmann Sims; and her aunts, Mazie and Julia; and her uncle, Joe Staba. She is survived by: her sons, Julian Robert Sims (Sheila), William Barry Sims (Kristine), and John Ernest Sims (Lola); her daughters-in-law, Lolita Cuellar Sims, Sheila Nelson Sims, and Kristine Kuhn Sims; her brother, Walter Nicholas Staba, Jr.; her sister-in-law, Zuma Lee Staba; her nieces, Nichole Staba Dailor and Helen Sims; her special friend, Clifford Sutter; her grandchildren, Julian Robert Sims, Jr., Taylor Russel Sims, Chad Nathaniel Hansen (Tessa), Abigail Sims, Danielle Mariche, Rebecca Sims Obrien (Tom), Amy Sims Stovall (Steve), and Emily Sims Purdy (Jonathan), and her great-grandchildren, Cate, Caroline, and Matthew Obrien, Joe and Sam Stovall, Wyatt Mariche, and Wesley Hansen.

A celebration of life service will be scheduled in the future as circumstances permit.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Trinity Church, attn.: Stewardship Office, 1329 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130