Joyce Lenore Stoffel

Joyce Lenore Stoffel, age 91, died at her home at The Courtyard at Lakewood on Monday, June 17, 2019. She left us peacefully when her heart stopped after getting ready to join others for breakfast in the dining hall.

Born December 11, 1927 in Underwood, Iowa, she moved with her family to Denver, Colorado when she was 12 years old and lived her life in view of the Rocky Mountains. She was class valedictorian at Garden Home/Westwood High School where she met Wally, her future husband. She enjoyed academics, her close friends, and singing. While still a high school senior, she married Wally who had graduated earlier, joined the Army during WWII, and was home on leave following basic training. With Wally fighting in Okinawa and finishing his tour of duty as part of the occupation forces in Japan, Joyce worked part-time during school at the family-run Purity Creamery in Denver and later at the arms plant (now the Denver Federal Center) saving towards the purchase of their first home. After the war, Joyce and Wally started their family and provided a stable loving environment and, by their example, a strong moral sense for their three children. With Joyce's firm beliefs, the family grew up in the Lutheran Church.

Joyce was known for her immaculate housekeeping, wonderfully plain (Danish) cooking style - especially her cookies, and her ""classy"" wardrobe. She suffered no fools when it came to proper grammar as she reflexively corrected the various media on the spot! Fiercely independent, she was known to have pulled a would-be parking lot thief from her 1965 Bonneville before contacting the police (no cell phones!). She was always involved in her children's schooling and provided excellent tutoring in all subjects. Joyce and Wally were loving parents and grandparents.

At 91.5 years, Joyce remained as independent as possible and loved seeing “her kids” as they helped her with doctor visits, trips home from her recently growing number of “after-a-fall” visits to the ER at Lutheran hospital (Jerry); finances, shopping, beauty care, homeopathic health aids (Julie); laundry, mail, and her “honey-do” lists (Ann & Tom). She could also take them to task when playing their weekly games of Scrabble! She loved being the “winner!” as she often was.

Survivors include her three children, Tom (Ann) of Louisville, CO, Julie of Ft. Collins, CO and Jerry (Teresa) of Denver, CO; and two grandsons, Chad (Heather) of Longmont, CO and Craig (Jaymie) of Westminster, CO. Joyce was preceded in death by Wally, her husband of 64 years and her siblings Virgil, William, Marvin, and Margaretha.

Memorial contributions are welcome at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2600 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Denver, CO 80227.

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Funeral Service: July 8, 2019 10:00 am

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
2600 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
Denver, CO 80227