Joyce M. McCormick

Joyce M. McCormick, 92, of Garner died Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at her home surrounded by her family.

Memorial services will be held 10:30 A.M., Saturday, April 29th at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Garner with Fr. Jim Dubert officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in the church cemetery.

A memorial visitation will be held from 5 to 7 P.M., Friday at the Cataldo Funeral Chapel, 160 E. 4th St., in Garner with a Scriptural wake service at 4:30 P.M. followed by a rosary and a VFW Auxiliary service.

Memorials may be directed to Hospice of North Iowa.

Joyce Marie McCormick, the youngest of three children of John and Jane (Tillinghast) Gaffga, was born May 11, 1924 in Greenport, Long Island, New York. At an early age, she moved to Lawson, MO to be with her aunt and uncle Gladys (Deacy) and Charles Tillinghast. Later, she was adopted by Gladys and Charles. They moved to Westport, CT where she graduated from Staples High School in 1942. Joyce entered nurses training at the Metropolitan Hospital School of Nursing in New York City. While in New York, she met Dan McCormick who was in the Navy and stationed in New York. Joyce and Dan were married on March 23, 1945 in the Navy Chapel. In November of 1945, they moved to Garner. Together they had four sons, Daniel “Len”, John, Paul and Brian who died shortly after his birth. Joyce worked as a registered nurse at Mercy Hospital in Mason City, Forest City Hospital and Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt before becoming the Garner-Hayfield School Nurse where she was employed for twelve years. As a nurse and through her love of life she touched many lives and will always be remembered for her welcoming smiles, compassion and fun personality. She made friends with all who met her.

She was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church and Garner VFW Auxiliary.

Joyce will be missed by Dan, her loving husband of 72 years; sons, Len (Mary) of Cedar Falls and Paul (Rebecca) of Rollingstone, MN; nine grandchildren; fourteen great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; a step-brother, Carl (Nancy) Tillinghast; sisters-in-law, Cleo Anderson, Ruth Kilgore, Reta Kerdus, and Jean (Dave) Malley; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sons, Brian and John; brother, Leonard; and a sister, Betty Jane.