Joyce was a remarkable person in so many ways. She was born on October 31, 1925, in Wuhu, China, to missionary parents. She was an outstanding student at Hiram College in Ohio and also sang the lead role in the opera Carmen that was staged at the college. Her father taught her the joys of hiking and camping, and she later shared her love of the outdoors with her children. She participated in road rallies at the local and national level and served as president of the Orlando Sports Car Club for many years. For decades, she also competed annually in a national map rally, a tradition carried on by some of her children and grandchildren. She was also known for her fantastic strawberry pie!
In the 1960's, Joyce became an engineer and systems analyst at Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin), an almost unheard-of achievement for women in those days. She was both amused and proud to receive the “Sprint Man of the Month” award for her contributions to the Sprint missile project, and she liked to quip about giving presentations at The Pentagon “that even a 4-star general could understand” (the Four Stars laughed with her). While raising four kids and working full time in Orlando, Joyce also managed to complete a master’s degree in Mathematics through a distance education program from the University of Michigan.
When she retired after 27 years at Martin Marietta, Joyce felt it was important to do something of social value, so she volunteered her time transcribing Braille materials for the blind, specializing in math and physics textbooks. She served on the Board of the Braille Association of Mid-Florida, advocated locally and nationally in support of the best Braille language for STEM students, and passed her knowledge on by teaching Braille transcription classes for years. In fact, she spent almost as many years volunteering as she did in her professional career, and her dedication to equal opportunity in education for the visually impaired is an important part of her legacy.
Through all these achievements, Joyce remained a loving and dedicated mom and grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be sorely missed by all. Joyce is survived by her children Tom (Diana) Hull, Amy (Gaines) Campbell, Jim (Pat) Hull, and Bonnie (George) Hart; her grandchildren Christina, Alyson, Erica, Alex, Ben, Jessica, Madeline, and Kaitlin; and her great-grandchildren Joshua, Samantha, Anastasia, Gabrielle, Emma, and Briar. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Waldie and Rose Holroyd; her siblings Bobby, Muriel, Dick, and Barbara; and her great-granddaughter Lauren. At Joyce’s request, no public service will be held, but her family invites you to share your thoughts and memories here. Memorial donations may be sent to the Braille Association of Mid-Florida, PO Box 140908, Orlando, FL 32814.
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