There are many words that describe Edna Joyce Duncan:

Calm, patient, diligent

Careful, thoughtful, reliable

Trustworthy, honest, loyal

Content, tolerant, loving

Teacher, daughter, wife, mother, friend

Joyce was an outstanding teacher who spent hours preparing lessons, assignments, tests and marking them.  She knew her students and had high expectations for them.

As a colleague, she was generous with her time, resources and support.  When I, the art teacher,  was handed a math class in mid September, Joyce’s response was “ Don’t worry. You can do that. I’ll help you” as she handed me a binder full of lesson plans, handouts, tests and answer sheets. I’ve tried to extend the same help to my colleagues but am nowhere near as organized as Joyce.  They get loose sheets of paper and the homework helpline phone number.

Sitting with Joyce in hospital, I listened to the funny and affectionate stories being told by her children, nephews, nieces and other family.  The Love and respect they had for Joyce and Joyce’s pride in and love for her family was clearly evident in every word I heard.

From the time I first met Joyce in 1974 at Alderwood Collegiate, I had a sense that she was someone very special.  Over the years, as our friendship grew and deepened, that feeling was confirmed in many ways.

In the early 70’s, teaching together at Alderwood, there was a whole group of us who became good friends.  We had our babies together and got together at each others homes, children in tow, during exams and summers.  Ralph Prentice would, I’m sure, sprout a new grey hair every time one of us stopped in the office to talk as one of us was almost always on maternity leave. That friendship has continued through the years, often due to Joyce’s efforts to get us together.  Just last June, Dale, Cathy, Marg, Joyce and I met at Linda’s for wonderful dinner together.

Joyce was my “go to” girl.  When the boys were sick, she was my first source of calming advice.  When I was thinking about major life changes, she was my sounding board.  Faced with unbearable loss, she was my comfort.  Never intrusive, always supportive she was the rock that tethered my hot air balloon.  As halves of a long distance friendship, we were always arriving and leaving but neither of us ever imagined this early a departure.

We’ll all miss you, my friend, our friend.