Obituary of Joyce Ilene Wilson

Joyce Ilene Richmond Wilson was born to Ferril Richmond & Evelyn Strope on 19 April 1946, in Goshen, Indiana. She passed on 13 December 2021, in Camp Verde, Arizona. She was the second child of four. She is survived by her younger brother, Jerry Richmond and his wife, JoAnn; niece, Brie & husband Craig; nephew, David and wife Alyssa; plus 5 Great-niece and nephews.

Joyce started school in South Bend Indiana then moved with her family to Tempe, Arizona to finish her schooling. She graduated in 1964 from Tempe Union High School and spent two years at ASU. Joyce started working for Mt. Bell in Phoenix in 1966, retiring as a supervisor over the operators in 1980.

The decision was made to move to Camp Verde with her husband, Robert.  She found that the roomy acre they lived on was a nice freedom from living in the city, and encouraged her mother Evelyn to also retire in Camp Verde, which she did eventually decided to do.  Since they lived next door to each other it was great for all the family to get together at the same time. Most holidays found our families gathered together.

She enjoyed dabbling in the arts and participated in Camp Verde's yearly Fort Verde Days Art Show as chairman for several years. Joyce loved to paint and shared with her family. We have her lovely work on the walls of our homes, much to our enjoyment. Over the years she raised chickens, and gardened, was a good cook that made wonderful apple pies, which I enjoyed. She also had a way with thread; her counted cross-stitch pieces were exquisite.

She was kind & had a good heart, always pleasant but able to attend to business when necessary. Her word was always good, when she said something you could always count on it.  She played an active role as a loving daughter in taking care of her mother, Evelyn, in the last phase of her life.

While going through her things I came across 10 resolutions she made for a new year.

1. Be creative every day.

2. Take time for yourself every day.

3. Try to learn something new every day.

4. Exerccise every day, be it mind or body.

5. Cultivate better living habits

          a. Clean something every day

          b. Put away what you get out.

          c. Talk care of your body; eat right & walk.

          d. Write to your family at least once a month.

          e. Take care of your property – it’s all you’ve got! Don’t procrastinate with   repairs or yard work.

6. Deal with your health problems; don’t bury your head in the sand!

7. Don’t be afraid to “try”- your mistakes are fixable.

8. Don’t be afraid of what others think! You have to please yourself First before anyone else!

9. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something!

10. Be proud of yourself – no negative Attitude.

I am proud to know a person with these values. She will be missed by family and friends.

A Graveside Service will be held on Friday, January 28, 2022 at 1pm at Green Acres Cemetery, 401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257.