Grace I. (Buckley) Joyce of Needham, MA., died peacefully on December 31, 2020 at Beth Israel Deaconess, Needham. She celebrated her 100th birthday this past October. Grace and her beloved husband, the late Martin J. Joyce, raised 6 children. She was predeceased by her eldest son, Christopher M. Joyce of Chester, NJ, and is survived by Christopher’s wife Judith and five other children: Deborah Joyce and her husband Wayne Henshaw of Chelmsford; Theodore Joyce and his wife Judith Sackoff of Brooklyn, NY; Dennison Joyce and his wife Michelle Ayoub of Brooklyn, NY; Geoffrey Joyce and his wife Claire McMurtrie of Santa Monica, CA; and Bradford Joyce of Needham, her devoted caretaker for many years. Along with many wonderful nieces and nephews, Grace had a loving relationship with her seven grandchildren, Eric Joyce, Victoria Joyce, Nina Joyce, Keith Henshaw, Maya Joyce, Liam Joyce, and Ella Joyce. Grace welcomed her first great grandchild, Miles Joyce Quinn of Boston, in April, 2020.
Grace was born in Malden on October 16, 1920, one of eight children of John and Sarah Conway Buckley. She is survived by her dear sister Pauline Valway of Needham. Grace, Pauline and their recently deceased sister Faith Grady formed a tightly knit trio. Grace graduated from Malden High School and Secretarial School. She was married to Martin for 43 years, until his death in 1991.
Grace will always be remembered as “gracious”, stylish and enthusiastic. In her Needham home for 70 years, Grace made family and friends the center of her life. She was a long-time parishioner of Saint Joseph’s church. She enjoyed playing tennis and bridge and was a life-long learner. In her younger years, she worked as a legal secretary to Judge Flynn of Malden. Later in life she worked part time as a telephone operator for AT&T. Grace finally retired at the age of 80 from her last job as a part-time secretary for a small Needham firm. Grace was known for her fudgy brownies, famous zucchini bread, and her “Jacqueline Kennedy telephone voice.”
A private family funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 6 at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 1305 Highland Ave., Needham, MA and available via live streaming or recording at harborview.live at noon. Interment is in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Needham.
Expressions of sympathy in Grace’s memory may be made to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Doctors Without Borders USA, P.O. Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 Attn: Planned Giving.