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BURTON, Joyce Gladys (38553)

Birth

  • Born on July 11, 1924 in Yarmouth, Yarmouth Co., NS

Death

  • Died on July 18, 2023 in Truro, Colchester Co., NS

Marriages

Children

Notes

  • Occupation: Teacher
  • Obituary: Joyce Gladys (Burton) Langille – of Truro, died in the Colchester East Hants Health Centre on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, after a brief illness. Joyce was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandmother who devoted her life to her family, her church, and her community. Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Donald and Martha Burton, she was taught the value of community service by her parents, who also imbued in her an abiding Christian faith, which served as the anchor of her life. Leaving Yarmouth as a young woman to study at Acadia University, she met her husband Winston "Win", where it is said that she, determined to get to know him better, invited him to a Sadie Hawkins dance. They married in 1944 and shared seventy-one years of devotion to one another, living in Truro all that time but for two years in Montreal as Win finished his studies there, while Joyce worked in the office of the Principal of MacDonald College. Joyce devoted much of her early married life to raising her family, but once she felt most of the children were well on their way to growing up, she fulfilled a dream and earned her teaching certificate at the Nova Scotia Teachers’ College, along with several young women who had completed high school with her older sons. Her love of life and winning personality made her very popular with these women, who to this day still speak fondly of their time with her. She then taught Grade 2 at Princess Margaret Rose School for 8 years where she was a respected and admired educator who went out of her way to help her students beyond the classroom. Joyce was also a published author; in 1991 she authored a book, Victorian Order of Nurses, Truro Branch, 1899-1989: Ninety Years of Caring. Joyce was very active in her community, singing in the Cantabile singers, supporting various town organizations and contributing especially to her church, Saint Andrew’s United, where she sang in the choir for many years, often as soloist, provided guidance to young women through her work with Canadian Girls in Training and was an active member of the United Church Women’s group. Her faith was solid, and her greatest belief was in the importance of love, often citing first Corinthians as the background for this. It served her well; a kinder, more gracious and more loving person would be very hard to find. She had a wide network of friends, many of whom she knew for decades, though many younger people also considered her a close friend. Most memorable of these groups was perhaps her bridge club, which when the group met, featured her unforgettable laugh, which all her children recall vividly. In her later years, when she needed help and support, these friends and her church community were extremely devoted to her. Her family is very thankful for this support, as was Joyce. Special thanks also to caregivers Francine Payne and Valerie Kerr, as well as the staff at Parkland and the Palliative Care Unit at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre. Joyce Langille lived a full and good life. She was cheerful to the end, and even with her dementia, her sweet, generous nature and love of singing shone through, revealing her true character. Joyce was predeceased by her husband, Winston and her sister, Barbara Burton. She is survived by her sons, Don (Deborah) Halifax, Brian (Cynthia) Toronto, Rob (Iona) Truro; her daughter, Martha (David Redmond) Buenos Aires; along with granddaughters, Joanna, Nicola, Maeve, and Sophie, and great-granddaughter, Eleanor. A service in memory of Joyce’s life will be held 2 pm on Thursday, August 3, 2023 at St. Andrew’s United Church, Truro, Reverend April Hart officiating, with a private family interment. If so desired, donations in Joyce’s memory to St. Andrew’s United Church or Maggie’s Place are welcomed. Arrangements are entrusted to Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home, 55 Young Street, Truro. Public messages of condolence may be sent to the family by viewing Joyce’s obituary online and selecting "Send a Condolence" at: www.mattatallvarnerfh.com.

Sources

  • Funeral Home: Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home Truro,NS Obituary July 2023

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