Joyce Howlett Broderick

Joyce Howlett Broderick, 97, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2025, at her residence in Phoenix, Arizona. To her family and friends, Joyce was a happy, cheerful person with a contagious smile. She had a spirit of adventure and was a joy to be with and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Joyce was born on December 8, 1927, the oldest child of Ada Smith and Ernest Golden Howlett. She was born in the loving home of her grandmother on Relation Street in Draper Utah. Growing up, most of Joyce’s school mates and best friends were also her cousins.

Her father, Golden, was a chicken farmer who sold eggs to support his growing family. As Joyce grew, she learned to clean and candle eggs, but she also discovered that she did not like to eat eggs. Later in life she wanted to share her chicken farm experiences with her children. When we visited Grandma and Grandpa Howlett, if it was time to butcher chickens, Mom insisted that we each learned to pluck and gut a chicken. (What a smell!)

Joyce’s early years were filled with a love of flowers from her mother, learning to enjoy music and anything creative. She had an eye for beauty that would show up in her drawings, paintings and in and around her home. Throughout her life, she found a lot of fulfillment in developing her artistic talents. Mom shared this love of beauty and creativity with her children.

In her youth, she was active in 4H, where she honed many new skills. Besides sewing and cooking, she refinished and reupholstered furniture. When her children were old enough, Joyce would include them in her projects.

Through a 4H contest in highs school Joyce won a $50 scholarship to attend Utah State University. Because of this, she changed her plans to attend BYU and went to Logan. There she met the handsome man that would become her eternal companion. She and John Howard Broderick were married in the Salt Lake City, Utah temple on September 5, 1947. Together they faced each challenge in life as an opportunity to learn or appreciate something new. They were married over 65 years and raised 9 children.

Joyce and Howard loved adventure and exploring new places around Utah and eventually around the world. They became camping experts, taking their tribe of children and tent trailer to discover unknown places long before camping became a popular activity. Eventually, their travels took them to Alaska, across the country to the Eastern states, to Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Sweden, Italy and a mission for their church to Nigeria.

In 1965 they moved from Utah to Phoenix, Arizona. Eight of their children had been born in Utah in various cities and counties and one was born in Phoenix, but they all graduated from Sunnyslope High School. Growing children meant opportunities to learn new skills like planning weddings, cake decorating, sewing wedding attire and creating flower corsages and bouquets. Throughout her life, Mom became a jack of all trades and a master of all. If there was something we needed she would find a way to make it.

Joyce was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She loved the Lord and her Savior Jesus Christ. She served in all auxiliaries of the church, among other things, as Relief Society president twice, girls camp leader when she was 70, and served a church mission to Jos, Nigeria. She loved RS and used to practice her literature lessons on her children. Her patriarchal blessing talked about doing genealogy work, which she did a lot of and published several family history books. Her blessing didn’t even mention that she would have children, yet she raised nine children and fulfilled all that God asked of her to the very end.

Joyce is survived by her and Howard's nine children: Julie & Rand Brown, Sarah & Van Rowse, Dennis & Janet Broderick, Jane & Jan Unter, Amy & Gregg Jonson, Rachel & Jay Gardner, Rebecca & Kent Connell, John & Diane Broderick and Verena & Rob Beckstrand, their 53 grandchildren, a plethora of great grandchildren (It’s hard to keep up) and 8 great-great grandchildren, number 8 arrived last week. She is also survived by two of her six siblings: Glen Howlett & Lois Scott.

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, J Howard Broderick, stillborn children John and Emma, parents Ada and Golden Howlett, siblings Elaine Puckett, Bryce Howlett, Mary Marble, and Grant Howlett.

Viewings will be held the evening of Monday, March 17, 2025, 6:30 - 8:30 PM and Tuesday, March 18, 2025, 9 - 9:45 AM at the Sunnyslope LDS church, 8710 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021

Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, March 18, 2025, beginning at 10:00 AM at the same address, 8710 N 3rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021.

Zoom link for those who can not make it.

https://zoom.us/j/94342292944?pwd=EzcWHVw8Sb5hC9IbEtYfTNB0sqMAj0.1#success

Interment will be at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at 2929 E Pinnacle Peak Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85024. Any wishing to attend must be there by 2 PM.

Memorial donations in Joyce’s memory may be directed to the Missionary Fund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.