Obituaries

It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to our dear mother and grandmother Joyce Duncan (nee Beach) who passed away on September 3, 2023 at the age of 101, surrounded by her loving family.

Born in Rochdale, England in 1921, Joyce immigrated to Canada (Oshawa, Ontario) with her family when she was seven. She was predeceased by her husband Jack and son John. She is survived by her brother Walter (Miriam); daughter Deborah (Ted); grandchildren Deanna, Jonathan (Jennifer), Katherine (Iain), Emily (Christopher), Danielle (Steve) and Sarah; and great-grandchildren Mitch, Kira, Liam D, Liam M, Merrick, Fynn, Jack, Coen, Isla and Magnus.

Few people knew of Joyce's heroism, but she was one of the last surviving “bomb girls”. Before her marriage, she and thousands of other brave women made munitions for World War II. The work involved handling tetryl, a volatile compound used to make detonators and explosive booster charges. Highly toxic, it could lead to tetryl poisoning, which Joyce developed. As a result, she was transferred to another unit, to work on the Lancaster Bomber. Joyce and other bomb girls like her were unsung heroes. Their invaluable work as part of the war effort so long ago contributed to the freedoms we enjoy today.

Joyce and her husband met in Oshawa. After he proposed to her one Easter, she started planning a June wedding. Much to her surprise her fiancé, an avid fisherman, had arranged everything for May 15th, which marked the opening of pickerel season! During their first year of marriage, the new couple spent a lot of time together fishing, which led to her love of lakes and the outdoors.

The couple raised two children together. Joyce felt that her role as mother and later grandmother was her greatest accomplishment in life. After the death of her adult son and later her husband, she moved to Regina to be closer to the rest of her family.

While living in Oshawa, Joyce attended O'Neill Collegiate and Vocational Institute, then studied Animal Genetics and Breeding at Durham College. This led to a successful career breeding Wire Hair Fox Terriers and a long membership with the Canadian Kennel Club. Through her company “JoyJac Kennels” she was celebrated as a top breeder in Canada, twice breeding the Top Wire Hair Terrier and breeding 14 champions in 7 years.

Joyce had many interests, including gardening. She joined the Regina Horticultural Society and was a founding member of the South Saskatchewan Lily Society. As the name suggests, their focus was to encourage people to grow lilies for enjoyment and also to educate people about other aspects of horticulture.

A storyteller and poet, Joyce pursued creative writing through classes at the U of R’s Lifelong Learning Centre. She often wrote touching stories about the Village of Harmony, England where she grew up. One of her poems “Disaster at Dieppe” described the realities of World War II and is displayed in the War Archives in Ottawa. And recently, Joyce shared her stories as part of a University of Regina research project looking at life after 100. The documentary highlights the lives of six Saskatchewan centenarians and can be seen at Looking forward at 100 on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/791224058.

Joyce had a positive outlook on life and could find joy in the simplest things; a favourite childhood memory was walking to the corner store to buy ice cream. Her advice to others was simple - enjoy life fully before you reach 100, so that you’ll have an abundance of happy memories. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She cherished their time together, whether attending their musical concerts or telling them stories around the fire at the family cottage in Emma Lake. Joyce spent 24 glorious summers at the cottage. Having been a synchronized swimmer in her youth, she continued to swim in the lake until the age of 95.

An avid traveler, Joyce visited Fiji and spent several winters in Florida. She continued to visit her “kiwi” relatives in New Zealand up until the age of 94! One especially fond memory involved a trip with her daughter, grandchildren and daughter-in-law, when they dined aboard the Floating Restaurant in the Hong Kong Harbour.

For her 100th birthday, Joyce received personalized messages from the Queen, the Prime Minister and the Lieutenant-Governor. These messages held special significance for her. Being born in England, she was a great admirer of the royal family.

The family would like to thank the staff at Harbour Landing Village for the excellent care and love that Joyce received from them while there. Sincere thanks also go to the staff at Pasqua Hospital Palliative Care Unit. As well a special thanks to Darlene and Rick Light, from Home Care Visiting Program, for the many years of compassion and friendship they shared with Joyce.

Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. in Immanuel Anglican Church, 142 Massey Road, Regina, Saskatchewan.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to a charity of your choice.