Joyce Marie Delorey

Delorey, Joyce M. (English), 86, of Portland, Maine, formerly of Wakefield, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2023. Joyce’s diminutive stature and humble bearing belied her immense presence in the lives of family, friends, and students as well as her formidable skill in traditional Italian cooking. She possessed a tremendous capacity for love, compassion, and adventure. Born April 13, 1937 to Nicholas F. and Catherine R. (Greco) English and raised in Endicott, New York, she was involved in countless church, school, and community activities. She was the valedictorian of Union Endicott High School’s class of 1955 and became the first in her family to attend college, at the University of Buffalo. After graduation in 1959, instead of accepting the gift of a car from her parents, she used the money to take a cross-country trip with her close friend. Joyce went on to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching from Colgate University, becoming one of the first women to earn a degree from that institution.

As a math teacher, Joyce was beloved by her many students in Williamsville, New York; Winchester, Massachusetts; and at Northeastern University. Joyce also taught at Middlesex Community College, Endicott College, and spent the 1962–63 school year teaching at Bitburg Air Force Base in Germany. But her love of teaching young people extended further; she volunteered her time mentoring students in Wakefield and tutoring at Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Joyce devoted her free time to her community and to social causes as well. At Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wakefield she, at various times, served as a CCD teacher, Pre-Cana leader, and Eucharistic Minister. Her involvement in the Christian Family Movement (CFM) fostered close faith-centered friendships that remained important for the rest of her life. She was an active parent volunteer for both the Wakefield Music Boosters and the Wakefield High School Drama Club. From her involvement in Beyond War to the peace group at the assisted living community, 75 State Street, Joyce was committed to promoting peace and non-violence. For many years, she volunteered at My Brother’s Table soup kitchen in Lynn and the Wakefield Food Pantry.

Joyce’s warm and welcoming nature endeared her to family and friends alike, including new friends she met and the staff at 75 State Street, where she lived out her last two years. There was nothing she loved more than hosting a holiday gathering and bestowing her traditional Italian cooking on anyone who came to visit. She was beloved by neighbors, her CFM friends, and her Music Boosters mothers’ group to name just a few. She and her family also welcomed guests from all over the world to their home. She was an adventurer herself, camping across the U.S. and visiting National Parks with her family and travelling throughout Europe with Bernie and friends. Joyce adored her grandchildren and especially loved to teach them songs from her childhood and include them in her cooking and baking. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Michael R. English. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bernard A. Delorey; her children and their spouses, Ann (Chuck), Mark (Andrea), Andrew (Gianna), Teresa (Kevin), and Jim (Nichole); and her grandchildren, Lily, Jack, Owen, Julian, Xavier, Paul, and Willa.

In lieu of flowers, you may donate, in her name, to the Wakefield (MA) Food Pantry or My Brother’s Table (Lynn, MA).

Memorial visitation to be held at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Wakefield, MA, Friday, June 16, from 5:00-6:30 pm followed by prayer service and reception.