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IN MEMORY

Joyce Simons (March) - Class Of 1947

Joyce L. Simons March, 91, of Kenosha, passed away at the Ascension – St. Francis Hospital in Milwaukee on Friday December 11, 2020 of COVID-19.

Born in Kenosha on October 29, 1929, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Florence (Hughes) Simons.  She received her primary education local schools, attended the Racine County Agricultural School for one year of high school and graduated from Mary D. Bradford High School in the class of 1947.  She subsequently earned a Bachelor's degree in Vocational Education from Southern Illinois University.

After high school, Joyce started her work life serving as a dental assistant in a small dental practice in Waukegan, IL.  She left that position to begin a 20-year career in business, serving as an executive assistant in several Illinois and California companies, among them Fansteel and Abbott Laboratories.  She later served as director of a vocational training center in North Chicago which prepared students for entry level positions in the healthcare field.  She ended her work life as the assistant to the Director of Resource Management and Logistics at Fort Sheridan, Fort Sheridan, IL, a position from which she retired in 1995.

In her early years, Joyce was an avid skier and golfer and travelled the country on numerous ski and golf trips with friends and members of her area ski club.  After her retirement, Joyce returned to Kenosha and became deeply involved in organizations and causes in the Kenosha community and served as an officer of many of those organizations.  She was a volunteer docent at both the Kenosha Public Museum and the Civil War Museum, as well holding membership in Friends of the Museum.  Additionally, she was actively involved in the Kenosha County Genealogy Society, the Kenosha Streetcar Society, the Kenosha Art Association and the Bradford Alumni Association.  Joyce loved all animals and fostered with the New Beginnings Shih Tzu Rescue Organization before eventually adopting her own Shih Tzu, Spike, who became the soul-mate to her amazing cat, Leo.  She was very politically active and proud to be a poll worker for local elections.  When she wasn't volunteering with local organizations, she enjoyed dancing with the Taws & Paws Square Dance Club or traveling the world with friends and family.  Even in retirement Joyce was never idle.

Joyce's survivors include:  her siblings, Robert (Mary Graham) Simons of Wilmington, DE and Larry Simons of Kenosha, and sister Rita (Julio Santiago) Simons Santiago of Milwaukee; two stepsisters, Gloria Secor and Sue Prim; eight nieces and nephews:  Jennifer Simons Polk, Robin Simons Newton, Laura Graham, Steven Simons, Nerzhin, Joshua, Adam, and Julia Viviana Santiago; and is further survived by many other loving relatives and friends.

In addition to her parents, Joyce is preceded in death by her stepmother, Gloria Marcher Simons, and three stepbrothers, Walter, Phillip and Charles Meldahl.

Joyce's Family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the hard working, caring and thoroughly professional staff at St. Francis Place, with particular thanks to Jodie Stachowiak and Mary Dillman for their attentive and compassionate care for Joyce in the final years of her life, as well as to Joyce's long-time faithful friend, Mary Wellman, for her many kindnesses and steadfast devotion to Joyce over many years.

A memorial celebration of Joyce's life will be scheduled at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, a memorial to a charity of your choice would be welcomed.

Published in the Kenosha News on December 16, 2020