JOYCE MARIAE GRAYSTON (MCDOWALL)

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JOYCE MARIAE GRAYSTON
(nee MCDOWALL)
April 6, 1942 – December 3, 2021

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Joyce, our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, on December 3, 2021.
Left to cherish her memory are Reginald, her loving husband of 60 years; her children, Reginald (Andrea), Alana, and Michael; and her grandchildren, Nathaniel, Nolan, and Alexander (Grady). Joyce will be sadly missed by her sister, Patricia (Dennis) and her brother-in-law, Harvey (Marilyn), as well as her nieces and nephews. Joyce was predeceased by her parents, Robert and Mariae McDowall and her father and mother-in-law, Reginald and Ivy Grayston.
Joyce was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her father was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, so Joyce's early years were spent living in various cities across Canada, including Vancouver, Ottawa, and London. From a young age, Joyce was mature and responsible beyond her years, holding dear her relationships with others and taking on a nurturing role with those she loved. At the age of 13, after resettling in Winnipeg with her family, Joyce met her soulmate and future husband, Reg. Recognizing a keeper when she saw one, she invited him to dance at a school event and (thankfully!) gave him a second chance after his initial panicked refusal. From that moment on, the two were inseparable, marrying six years later and working together as a team to navigate the twists and turns of life.
Joyce was a go-getter with boundless energy, organizational skills second to none, and an incredible work ethic. Throughout her life, she applied her considerable talents to a variety of professional pursuits, including positions with the provincial government and in the retail and labour sectors. Her greatest joy, however, was her family, and the dedication and devotion with which she approached her roles as partner, parent, and "gramma" have forever changed us for the better. Leading by example, she taught us to be brave and kind and strong, to stand up for ourselves and others, to behave with integrity, to trust our feelings, to work hard, and to have fun. With every word and deed, she showed us the importance of compassion, generosity, persistence, optimism, and humour, and provided the conditions we needed to grow. Perhaps most importantly, she taught us to stick together, to take care of each other, and to seize every opportunity to let others know how much we care, messages she continued to reinforce even in her final hours. Until the very end, her focus remained on us rather than herself, and on how she could help us successfully navigate the heartbreaking process of saying goodbye.
Joyce was truly one of a kind and we were fortunate to have had her in our lives. A loving partner, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, and friend. A source of encouragement extraordinaire. A great listener, advocate, and shoulder to cry on. An amazing cook and an even better baker. Taken from us much too soon, she will be forever missed by those whose lives she touched. Mom loved us all "thimble cookie much."
As we walk forward now without you by our sides, the simple things we see will remind us how much you meant to each of us. While terribly sad to remember, it provides us comfort in realizing you enriched our lives and prepared us for our journey without you, in ways we could never understand. We are all better people because of you.
In keeping with Joyce's wishes, cremation has taken place and no service will be held.
In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire, a donation in Joyce's memory may be made to Harvest Manitoba, the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, or the Kidney Foundation of Canada (Manitoba Branch).
The Grayston family would like to express our deepest gratitude to the staff on 3N and in the ICU unit at Grace Hospital, including Drs. Mendelson and Colbourne, for their kindness and support during this difficult time and for the gentle and compassionate care they provided to Joyce.

"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart"
- Mahatma Gandhi

For those who wish to sign the online
Guest Book please visit www.chapellawn.ca

Chapel Lawn Funeral Home
204-885-9715

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 11, 2021