Joyce Ann Droste

Joyce Droste is survived by her children, Sue (Jim) Wotring, Judith (Joseph Talocco) Scott, and Richard (Denise) Droste; her grandchildren, Erin (Benjamin) Tobin, Kristen (Brandon) Bourns, Justin (Francesca) Droste, Lindsay Droste, Matthew (Jenna) Droste, and Chris Wotring; and her great-grandchildren, Theodore Tobin, Olivia Tobin, Kensley Droste, Richard Hallowell, Giovanni Hallowell, Vincent Trebnik, Tessa Bourns, and Emma Droste. She is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Carol Turcotte.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Arnold; her son, Bruce; her parents, Ormond and Venus Hermes; her sisters, Jeannette Deline, Patsy Germond, and Dorothy Mudgett; and her younger brother, Richard Hermes.

Joyce grew up in Adrian, Michigan, and attended St. Joseph Academy for 12 years. After graduating, her adventurous spirit brought her to Detroit, where she attended the Providence Hospital School of Nursing. She was training to become a nurse during World War II, though the war had ended by the time she graduated.

Joyce began her nursing career at Providence Hospital in Detroit. Detroit was a vibrant city during those years, and she loved exploring it with her nursing friends and riding the streetcars.

It was also at Providence Hospital that Joyce met the love of her life, Arnold Droste. Arnold worked in the X-ray Department and helped develop the hospital’s School of X-Ray.

Joyce and Arnold were married on June 17, 1950. They made their home in Redford, where they raised their four children.

While her children were in high school, Joyce worked one day a week for an ophthalmologist in the Fisher Building. She also worked part time at Oakwood Hospital. During the final 10 years of her career, she worked in the Urology Department at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield.

After retiring, Joyce joined the Redford Suburban League, whose primary focus was raising funds for the School for the Deaf in Redford. The organization held a wonderful annual luncheon and fashion show, and Joyce served on its board.

Joyce enjoyed golfing in the summer, bowling in the winter, and playing dominoes with a group of friends.

Joyce loved being a grandmother. She and Arnold played an important role in helping their daughter Judy with her daughter, Erin. When their son Bruce passed away unexpectedly, Joyce and Arnold were also there to support their daughter-in-law, Carol, and their grandchildren. Their love for their family was so important to them that they eventually moved to Commerce Township to be closer and help care for them.

Joyce loved life and especially loved traveling. She enjoyed trips to Hawaii and California with her sisters and their husbands, spending time with family in Adrian and Ohio, and visiting her nieces, Carol and Jeanne, in Florida.

She also loved the theater. Joyce enjoyed attending plays with her daughters, daughter-in-law, and cousin at the Croswell Opera House in Adrian. Each fall, she and her cousin Mary Alice also traveled to Turkeyville in Marshall, Michigan, where they shared many laughs and wonderful memories.

Joyce remained curious throughout her life and was an avid reader, particularly of medical magazines.

Above all, Joyce loved her family, her friends, and the life she shared with them. She will be deeply missed by her loving family and the many friends whose lives she touched.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 9086 Hutchins Road, White Lake, Michigan 48386. The family will receive visitors at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Interment will take place at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the American Heart Association.