Joyce Burleson LaRue

A loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who will be remembered for her sweet spirit and kind soul. Joyce Burleson LaRue of Jackson, Mississippi died on December 27, 2024, at the home of her son, Ike LaRue, who was her caregiver for her final years of life. She was 93 years old.

Joyce was born in Pensacola, Florida, on May 10, 1931, to Grace Mae Watson and Earl Emrick Burleson. Her father was a Coast Guard captain who served in WWII, and her mother was a homemaker and devoted wife. They were a military family stationed at bases throughout the country during her childhood.

She moved back to Pensacola as a young adult where she met and married her husband, Fred Cheney LaRue. Soon after their marriage they moved to Jackson, Mississippi, and started a family. She had six children, Grace Burleson, Ike Parsons LaRue, III, Fred C. LaRue, Jr., Patricia LaRue, Les LaRue, and Stephen Earl LaRue. She was a devoted mother, and her children meant the world to her.

Though she loved entertaining, volunteering, and fashion, her favorite role was that of a grandmother and great-grandmother. She treasured her time with her nine grandchildren, Cheney, Seth, Sarah, Leslie, Luke, Ike, Grace, Adrien, and Hayden, and her two great-grandchildren, Brookes, and Betty. She loved being their Mimi and Nana. She attended their school and sporting events and had the best birthday parties for them. Christmas and Easter were her favorite holidays filled with presents and food and always everyone’s favorite, a Primos caramel cake. Her family will cherish those memories she made so special.

Joyce always dressed to the nines in the latest fashions. She loved to shop at Steinmart and Talbots, and have her hair done, and she never turned down a cup of coffee. She liked it strong and black. She attended Saint James Episcopal Church, where she was baptized; a baptism we will always remember. Her memory will forever live on in the hearts of those who loved her.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents Earl and Grace, her brothers Buddy and Jerry, her sister, Betty, and her husband Fred. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be Saturday February 1, 2025 starting at 11:00 am followed by a Funeral Service starting at 12:00 pm at St. James's Episcopal Church 3921 Oakridge Dr, Jackson, MS 39216. Immediately following the funeral service, the family will host a Celebration of Life beginning at 1:30pm at Anjou Restaurant 361 Township Ave, Ridgeland, MS. 39157.