Memorial
Joyce Conley entered into eternal life on August 24, 2017. She was born Joyce Elaine Kinsman on June 1, 1929 in Stoughton, MA. Her mother said, “We named her Joy because she came to teach the meaning of her name”.
Growing up in the Great Depression, Joyce knew what it was like to go hungry. This experience made her an avid advocate for outreach to others throughout her entire life. Joyce’s beloved Gramps and Deedee gave her the priceless gift of unconditional love.
Joyce married John Thayer and was blessed with two sons, Bruce and Bryan. She then married Ellsworth Maxey and was blessed with three daughters, Edith, Elizabeth and Jane. She later married her high school sweetheart, Bill Conley, to the joy of her family.
A cradle Episcopalian, Joyce’s church meant the world to her. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, and was blessed by her ministries of prayer chain, pastoral care, and outreach. She was a recipient of the Distinguished Churchman’s Cross. She was a faithful prayer warrior.
Joyce was blessed with the friendship of Ellen and Juergen Bruckner, Jim and Nancy Spencer, Carolyn and Francis McMann, Patty Robison, Jean and Eric Mote, Irene Livengood, Kate Hawkins, Mary Craven, Linda Rance, Louise Pickford, Betty Carlson, Mary Wallace, Sally Taylor, and angel Imogene Kelly.
Joyce co-founded the Illinois organization of Mothers of Twins Club (MOTC) in 1962, prior to moving to Iowa and co-founded the IA MOTC state organization as well. She served as a national officer of NOMOTC. Joyce wrote a nationwide newsletter, Twin//Lines, for more than a decade. Her readers sent her to the International Society for Twin Studies (ISFTS) in Rome to present a research paper. At the congress, Joyce was elected to serve as a vice-president for ISFTS. While there, Joyce met Dr. Warner Kloepfer from Tulane University and developed a handprint/footprint instruction kit to assist him in getting handprints and footprints for his twin research. Fingerprinting for police records is quite different from handprints for research, which made it more challenging. Joyce was made a life member in the ISFTS.
Joyce was an involved and loving mother in her children’s lives. She taught her children that God and family are the most important priorities in life. Joyce had many “children of her heart” that she “adopted” with love throughout her life.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents, husbands John Thayer, Ellsworth Maxey and Bill Conley, beloved son Bryan Thayer, and sister Audrey Daurie.
Joyce is survived by son Bruce Thayer, daughters Edith (Erick) Kadlec, Elizabeth (Bruce) Ray, and Jane Maxey, daughters-of-the-heart Marcia Thayer and Sue Thayer, sister Joan Cook, nieces, nephews and cousins including Darlene and Peter Dehman and Ray and Jewel Kinsman. Joyce is also survived by 8 grandchildren: Jenny (Rev. Eric) Schumacher, Daniel (Jen) Thayer, Peter Thayer and girlfriend Courtney Smejdir, Michael (Mia) Thayer, Jeanna Kadlec, Johanna Kadlec, Colin (Emma Caster) Ray, and Ian Ray, as well as 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial service will be 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday at Christ Episcopal Church. A visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Inurnment: Private at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Christ Episcopal Church, 220-40th St NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402, or Loaves & Fishes food pantry, c/o Christ Episcopal Church.
Joyce’s favorite song was “Love Is Something If You Give It Away (You End Up Having More)”. That was how she tried to live. She was an enthusiastic hugger. Joyce sends one last hug to all she loved!