1933—2020
Joyce Lois Windham, long-time resident of Napa and Los Altos/Mt. View, CA, passed away in January, after a brief hospitalization, where she was surrounded by family. Joyce was born in 1933 to Clara and Hans Lenhardt Hansen in Villa Park, Illinois, the youngest of three children. Joyce excelled academically, graduating from Oak Park High School with honors and a scholarship to the University of Denver. There she pledged Kappa Delta sorority and met her future husband of 51 years, Edwin O. Windham. Joyce and Ed’s first two children, Gayle Claire and Jeffrey Lind, were born in the Berkeley/Richmond, CA area. The young family moved to Puerto Rico, where Glenn Kirby was born.
Returning after five years, Joyce and Ed raised their family in Los Altos and later Mt. View. Joyce was always very involved with her children’s education and set an example volunteering, with among others, the League of Women Voters, Welcome Wagon, PTA, and always the Lutheran church; Immanuel in Los Altos. She was active in the local and the Pacific Southwest Women’s groups, developing many long-time friendships. Joyce also worked for the U.S. census as a supervisor for several years.
After the children were grown, Ed began his work with wineries and so started Joyce’s thirty years’ residence in Napa. Joyce relished being a docent at Copia and enjoyed the Napa Valley Symphony/ fund-raising league. Joyce and Ed were regular members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church (Napa). Joyce was very involved in her grand-children’s lives as well and always loved having a dog. She spent her last few years at the Springs Retirement Community in Napa and then at All about Seniors, in the south bay.
Joyce is survived by her three children, her daughter in-law, Tamara; her 5 grandchildren, Maren, Ashley, Kristen, Jeffrey and Alison Joyce; and one great-grandchild, Chance. We trust Joyce has rejoined Ed in spirit and will rejoin him physically at the Tulocay Cemetery in Napa. A Celebration of her life will be held at the Napa Valley Lutheran Church on Feb. 23rd with a service at 2 pm, followed by a reception (1796 Elm St., Napa). If you wish to make donations, please consider the Humane Society or League of Women Voters.
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