Joyce Busbee

Joyce La Vern Busbee, beloved mother to 2 boys, was 89 yrs young, of Burnet Texas, passed away at the Oaks Nursing Center in Burnet on Thursday May 1st, 2025 at 7:55pm. She passed away peacefully of natural causes without any pain or discomfort.

She was born Joyce La Verne Smith on Feb 16, 1936 in the town of London in Kimble county Texas. She was born to parents Jodie Smith and Minnie Visti Bryce of Upshur County Texas, the youngest of 4 children.

In 1955 she met and married an airman, Thomas Busbee of Austin Texas while stationed at Bergstrom AFB. Fortunately they had one thing in common, they both liked hotrods and my dad was immediately smitten by her when she walked up to him while he was working on his car at a gas station and asked “What cha got under that hood???” That is all it took, my dad was smitten.

While my mother was not particularly nurturing, she was a disciplinarian. She made her boys tow that line and instilled manners and respect in both of us. She loved the outdoors so much that she often said that she would rather be out in the barn shoveling horse manure than to be inside cleaning or cooking, and she meant it. While living in California they got involved in the equine community and she was into horse Barrel Racing where she won many 1st place ribbons, she loved horses. After moving to Austin, my parents built an 8 stall horse barn and began to board horses and I think that is when she was the happiest, when she was around animals that couldn’t talk back.

She was tough like her father, we have scars to prove it, but she was loved very much. She always wanted what was right for her boys, she just had a hard time showing her love but we knew deep down, we knew.

She was preceded in death by Jodie Smith, Faye Porter and Wanda Sharpe, brother and two sisters and is survived by her two sons, Terry and Barry Busbee who will never forget the commitment and love that she brought to their lives. She will be missed but never forgotten.

The service is May 8th at 11am at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at 11463 TX-195, Killeen, Tx 76542.