Joyce Mae Healey

Joyce Myers Healey, born on September 7, 1928 near Harrisburg, AR, died on May 1, 2021. She was one of seven children of BL and Willie Myers, farmers in northeast Arkansas, and was the only remaining child of her generation. She attended elementary school in Section 16 and Blackwater and after the family relocated to Sedgwick, she graduated from Walnut Ridge High School in 1944.

When she was 18, she married Paul Healey and they became sharecroppers near Sedgwick. She was only 5’2 ½” tall (that ½ was very important) with a sassy, upbeat attitude. Cotton was a primary crop, and it was very labor intensive. Joyce was a champion cotton picker who routinely picked over 200 lbs. of cotton a day. Joyce and Paul had four children: Shirley, Paula, David, and Cindy.

Paul went to work for the National Guard, requiring a move from the farm to the metropolis of Sedgwick. Joyce was ambitious for herself and her children, and she enrolled in college to pursue a teaching degree. To help fund this endeavor she became the janitor of Sedgwick Elementary School. Paul’s job led to a relocation to Camp Robinson in Pulaski County. She went on to get a master’s in educational counseling and a post masters certification as an Educational Examiner. She was involved with teaching and counseling in Pulaski County schools for over 30 years. All the students she worked with became “her kids”, and she loved running into them at local shops later in life. She had fond memories of Sherwood Elementary, Harris Elementary, Jacksonville North, and Sylvan Hills.

Family was the center of Joyce’s life and after retirement she aided in the care of the next generations. She had 9 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She was also obsessive about her yard. The beautiful purple irises were the envy of many. She evaluated your worth based on how hard you were willing to work. Her largest condemnation was to say you were not “work brickle”. Hard work was a harbinger of success. She had a warrior spirit, was feisty, plain spoken, and had a ready smile. She loved a good joke and was full of fun. Family card games, with 3 tables, were legendary.

About 5 years ago, Mom began to mentally disappear. The diagnosis was Alzheimer’s type dementia. She eventually lost memories of all she had loved. I recently read, “you have to grab onto all the pieces, good and bad, to make the pictures you want to leave behind.” Her funeral service at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills, 7724 Landers Rd, NLR, AR, 72117 will help us collect the pieces so we can recreate her picture and celebrate her life. Please join us on Monday, May 10th 2021 for our visitation starting at 1:00 with the service at 2:00 followed by the burial. Casual attire, Masks suggested.