Joyce Gahagen
Joyce Gahagen, age 84, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 22, 2024 in Raleigh, NC.
Born and raised in Uniontown, PA on July 20, 1940; she was the eldest of three to the late Grover and Evalyn (Schimonsky) Bryson.
On July 5, 1962 Joyce and Leland were wed in Oakland, MD. The couple moved to Elizabeth, PA where they raised a family of 5 children. She remained there 50+ years. Her greatest joys in life was her family and caring for people and pets of all sorts. She also enjoyed working at the Central Food Pantry and spent years helping the local community.
For decades Joyce worked as a server in the food industry. With a loving heart this service spilled over into her other various interests. She made life-long friendships with her coworkers and continued to make new friends when in 2021 she moved to NC to enjoy the warmth in her senior years. Wherever she was, Joyce always found the time and strength to help, as helping others meant the world to her. She truly had a servants heart. She also found immense joy in animals of all kinds. Our mother had the kindest heart, and the greatest tribute we can give is to remember her life and how full it was.
When asked what she would like to be remembered for, Joyce replied being kind-hearted, feeding people, and being an animal lover. Joyce lived the roles of mother/caretaker, chief cook, and bottle washer. She was generous towards those in need and a confidant to all.
Joyce always loved the beach and ice cream, loved to laugh, enjoyed clever-hearted pranks, perpetually ignored expiration dates, and thrived on pets and family gatherings. She was a great saver and demonstrated this in her everyday life, yet she was always mindful to make time for fun. We will greatly miss her, but the memory of her will bring us all peace and help to guide us to be as loving and kind as she was.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart and our mother touched a great many of them.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Leland (“Captain”) Gahagen, and her dear brother Fred Bryson.
She is survived by her sons David (Bonnie) of New Bern, NC, Thomas (Kathy) of Holly Springs, NC, Terry (Ruth) of Pittsburgh, PA, and Glenn (Angie) of Culpeper, VA, her daughter Kim (Rob Walden) of Myrtle Beach, SC. Joyce is also survived by her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and her beloved sister Rita Monniger of Williamsport, MD.
Grandchildren: Brenna (Jess), Benjamin (Heather), Erich, Jonathan (Amber), Krysta (Evan), Kayla (Warren), Brian (Tracy), Daniel (Lexi), Tara (Tom), Stepfanie (Jonathan), Joseph (Ashley), Jonathan (Sarah)
Great-grandchildren: Darren, Quinn, Gabriella, Olivia, Jackson, Owen, Reed, Caroline, Christian, Emilia, Hendrix, Ivy, Violet, Lucy, Colby, Remington, Cooper, Trace
In place of flowers, the family asks if you would consider donating to your local food bank in her memory or to the food bank she gave so much of her time to Central Food Pantry of Elizabeth Township, P.O. Box 47, Buena Vista, PA 15018
Celebration of life services will be private.