Joyce was a long-time teacher, molding the minds of elementary students in Escondido for 35 years. She was passionate about music and was a wonderful pianist and organist. She also had a beautiful soprano voice that she lent to church choirs for most of her life. She taught music and singing to children and was often involved in Christmas pageants and school plays.
As a grandparent Joyce was involved with all her Grandchildren when they were little and provided encouragement and direction as they grew. She always had a spare room available for them when they were young adults to provide a watchful sense of independence. When they were adults, she encouraged travel and career direction.
Joyce was a world traveler and circled the globe several times visiting exotic places like Egypt, Russia, China, Morocco, and all of Europe. She had many stories and artifacts that she collected and shared with anyone who would listen.
Joyce loved painting, gardening (especially Gerbera Daisies), learning and reading. She had a bachelor’s degree from Adrian College in Michigan and a master’s degree from San Diego State University.
Joyce was born in Detroit Michigan to English immigrants. She moved to California in the early 1950’s when her first husband
was sent to Camp Pendleton. She never left California after that. She had a son, got divorced and started a teaching career. She found a house plan that she liked in a magazine and went to an architect to have plans drawn up. She found a property with a view in Escondido and set out to build her dream home. Bank after bank turned her down because she was a single woman. She was told to get a husband and return with him for the loan. Not to be deterred by the outdated social norms of the day, she pushed on and finally found a sympathetic bank. She built her dream home and lived in it until the day she died, 55 years later.
About the same time (mid 1960’s) Joyce met Carl Prager and married him in 1968. They were very happily married for 31 years until his death in 1999.
Joyce was a powerful force in many people’s lives. Hundreds of children benefitted from her being their teacher. She was a caring mother. She was a loving wife. She was an involved and caring grandmother. She knew what was right and proper and worked hard to instill the same values in everyone she touched.
She has left us all with a warmth in our hearts from her being there and an ache in our hearts from her passing.
She is survived by her son David Duley, her Grandchildren: Andrew Duley, Rachel and Bryant Tintle, and Michele and Jeff Cowan.
Goodbye Mom. We love you.
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