Richard Taylor Joyce

FUNERAL NOTICE SEASIDE RICHARD TAYLOR JOYCE March 15, 1924 ? September 11, 2011 Richard Taylor Joyce, 87, of Seaside, California passed away on September 11, 2011 in Monterey, California. He was born on March 15, 1924 in Austin, Texas. Mr. Joyce served in the US Navy during WWII. He settled on the Monterey Peninsula in 1952. Visitation: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 from 3:00 ? 6:00 p.m. at Seaside Funeral Home, 1915 Ord Grove Avenue, Seaside, California. Funeral service: 10:00 a.m. Thursday, September 22, 2011 at Seaside Funeral Home, with Reverend Welton McGee officiating. Committal will follow at Mission Memorial Park, 1915 Ord Grove Avenue, Seaside, California. Arrangements are under the direction of Seaside Funeral Home. For more information please visit www.seasidefunerals.com. BIOGRAPHY Richard ?Dick? T. Joyce was born on March 15, 1924 in Austin, Texas to the Late Great Legendary Band Master, Benjamin Leo and his wife Zenobia Jewel Joyce of Austin, Texas. He followed in his father?s footsteps having a deep love for music throughout high school. Richard joined the U S Navy during WWII. He served his country from 1942 ? 1946 receiving an honorable discharge. While traveling the railways, in 1945, Richard met and fell in love with a beautiful young lady named Beatrice Marie Mitchell of Little Rock, Arkansas. They exchanged vows on January 5th, 1947 and began a family. He went on to play jazz music professionally, his instrument; the bass fiddle. He performed at the very first Monterey Bay Jazz Festival in 1958. As the family grew he decided to lay down his bass so he could remain grounded with his wife and raise their 9 children. Richard, known as Dick, spent many years working as the head custodian with the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. Richard also worked for the City of Seaside Redevelopment Agency as a building inspector for approximately 25 years before retiring. He was a board member for a number of years. Dick was instrumental in the planning and development of the Del Monte Heights Project. Dick was a well-known, honest, hard-working family man with great integrity. His middle name should have been ?Provider?. His love, devotion and total commitment to his family was definitely to be admired from beginning to end (through thick and thin). On September 11, 2011, Richard, 87, went home to the Lord to be reunited with his beautiful wife Beatrice; son, Benjamin (Benny) and daughter, Sylvia (Tunny); and his parents, Benjamin Leo Joyce and wife Zenobia. He was the last surviving sibling of five; Thomas (Uncle Tom) Joyce, Albert (Uncle Skeets) Joyce, Leola (Aunt Sis) Buie, and (Aunt Gladys) Joyce McKinney. He leaves to mourn his passing, three daughters, Nobia Joyce of Azusa, California, Cynthia (Fred) Rock of Tracy, California, Paula (Lawrence) Matthews of Sacramento, California; four sons, Richard G. Joyce of Salinas, California, Paul (Melody) Joyce of Sunnyvale, California, Burley Joyce of Cupertino, California and Jerry Joyce of San Jose, California; as well as a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends. Grandpa, may your legacy live on forever.