Joyce June Muckleroy
Joyce June Muckleroy was born in Dr. Barber's house, in Porterville on March 1, 1925. to Milton and Nordica Shry. She weighed only 2 lbs and was not expected to live, but spent the first month of her life sleeping on the chest of the doctor's wife.
Joyce grew up on the family citrus ranch south of Porterville. She spent many hours in her youth practicing classical piano and gained a local reputation as an accomplished classical pianist.
She played in the Porterville High School Orchestra and also worked at the family restaurant, The Palm Cafe, located on Main St in the location currently occupied by Poor Richard's Pizza.
After graduating high school in 1942, Joyce attended Porterville College before moving to San Francisco. She relocated to Southern Califrnia where she met her future husband. Joyce married Jimmie Muckleroy on November 22, 1951 and they established their home in Huntington Park, Ca. She considered herself a "career girl" and found employment as a clerk-typist, keypunch operator, "Girl Friday", radio dispatcher, and bookkeeper receptionist.
Joyce and Jimmie enjoyed traveling, going to horse races and car races. They square-danced all over California for 10 years with the Downey Hoedowners.
Joyce was widowed in 1995 and continued to live on her own for 20 years before moving back to Porterville in 2015 to be closer to family.
Living at Sierra Hills, she made many new friends, but went home to Jesus on July 28, 2019.
Funeral services were held at Rose Hills in Whittier, Ca. on August 5, 2019, where she was laid to rest next to her beloved husband, Jimmie.
In addition to her parents and husband, Joyce was preceded in death by her sister, Norma Carlisle. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Jim Carlisle of Ducor; nephew, Mike (Brenda) Carlisle of Visalia; nieces Marcia (Denis) Doran and Karen (Thad) Reece of Porterville; Betty Lane, Mary Muckleroy and Sandra (Walter) Barcroft of Virginia Beach, Va.
A rememberance service will be held at the Sierra Hills Chapel on Wed. Sept, 25, 2019 at 4:00 pm