Joyce Ellen Whitehead

Joyce Whitehead was many amazing things to different people, the entirety of which can’t be easily described, but I can speak a little to the experience of being her granddaughter.

Grandma was light, and love, and comfort. Joyce was a kind comment and a crinkle-eyed smile, wrapped in an oversized sheepskin jacket. As kids, we found that nobody had more patience than she did for our (often fleeting) childhood pursuits of art, books, music, sports, or any other interest. Grandma shared all our passions, and celebrated our smallest successes. As we grew, she supported us at crucial times, and provided advice that was empathetic and conciliatory, but thoroughly practical when needed.

Joyce was all this - grandmotherly comfort, and love, and acceptance, but she was also so fun – a loud, laughing woman who cracked jokes and never shied away from self-deprecation. Joyce didn’t watch from the sidelines while we tubed or kayaked on the lake or played rude games at family gatherings; she was in there, setting the pace – a pace that gave us a lifetime of momentum for our own joy.

I imagine that these qualities weren’t limited to the office of grandmother. You couldn’t spend five minutes with her and not be infatuated by her kindness, intelligence, and humor. She spoke of her friends frequently and fondly, kept no barriers between her genetic and found families, and cultivated a sense of belonging for everyone. The theme of her life was love.

We are blessed by what she leaves behind. Her watercolors, handwritten notes, recipes, and Christmas cards fill our homes. Her lessons – on art, pie crusts, or finding (and making) your own peace – guide our hands and thoughts as we shape our lives.

Joyce’s memory and inspiration are cherished by her four incredible daughters, her grandchildren (and great-grandbabies!), and the innumerable friends and family whose lives she touched. For her influence, we are more clever, more thoughtful, and more capable of love.

A celebration of life will be held for Joyce at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 19, 2022, at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, 102 S. 2^nd Street, Geneva, IL.  If you plan to attend, please be fully vaccinated and wear an N95 or KN95 face mask.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Morton Arboretum through the Tribute Gifts page. Please select “Other Amount” and note Joyce Whitehead under Honoree Name. Please leave the tribute gift options blank.