Joyce Margaret Denney

Joyce was born in Augusta on December 31, 1936 to Lewis and Margaret (Waugh) Wyman. As a young child, they moved to the family farm in Pownal, a property which belongs within the family to this day.

Joyce graduated from Freeport High School where she excelled as a student and was elected as class president her senior year. As a freshman, she met her husband to-be, George Denney, who was in eighth grade. George was always teasing her that she had ‘robbed the cradle’! They were high school sweethearts and married soon after George’s graduation, eventually settling in Freeport to raise their daughter, Dawn and son, George. They were married for 62 wonderful years before George’s passing in 2020.

Joyce was all about family. She was Dawn’s girl scout leader and softball coach and, on the sidelines, cheering on her son George’s soccer team. Later in life she celebrated her grandchildren’s academic and sports achievements, subsequent marriages, and finally the birth of her five great-grandchildren.

Joyce was also about giving back to the community. She was a Junior Achievement leader, a volunteer with Freeport Community Services and the Freeport Historical Society. She also served on the Freeport Paper Street Committee and worked at the voting booths.

Joyce loved the outdoors especially fishing in her back yard pond. An annual quest was to catch ‘Walter’, a large-mouth bass, whom she caught, measured and weighed! She and George shared numerous outdoor activities together be it fishing, boating, snowmobiling, or camping.

As the children entered school, Joyce went to work as an accountant, eventually working at L.L Bean. While employed there, Joyce was part of a women’s management team called the ‘Beanettes’, an intrepid group that would test products while on canoeing and camping trips in the wilds of Maine.

The next chapter in Joyce’s life found her putting her accounting skills to good use supporting her husband, George’s successful real estate loan and development businesses. The saying “Behind every successful man is a strong woman” was never truer.

As their golden years approached, Joyce was very proud of her and George’s philanthropic contributions as benefactors to the Freeport Historical Society, Freeport Community Services, NYA Denney Field, and other organizations.

Joyce was predeceased by her parents; her husband, George; her brothers and sisters-in-laws, Mervyn and Elaine Wyman of Pownal and Jack and Elaine Wyman of Pownal.

She is survived by her daughter, Dawn (Tim) Connolly of Freeport, her son, George S. Denney of Freeport; grandchildren, Sean LaBrie of Sydney, Hillary (Topher) Liddle of Brunswick, and Thomas (Elizabeth) Connolly of Freeport; her great-grandchildren, Ben LaBrie of Cumberland, Aiden and Quinn Liddle of Brunswick, Corren and Roslyn Connolly of Freeport; her sister, Jean Bolt of Aurora, CO; her sister-in-law, Laura Alder of Carson City, NV; nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to convey their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Bay Square and Compassus for the wonderful care and compassion they showed Joyce during her final years.

Friends and family are invited to a time of visitation and reception on Thursday, July 10 from 10 am – 12 pm at Lindquist Funeral Home in Yarmouth followed by a graveside service and interment at Burr Cemetery in Freeport.

Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to leave condolences for the Denney family and sign Joyce's online guest book.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Freeport Historical Society, 45 Main St, Freeport, ME 04032, online at freeporthistoricalsociety.org or Freeport Community Services Inc. (FCS), 53 Depot Street, Freeport, ME 04032, online at fcsmaine.org.