Mrs. Joyce D. Russell

Joyce D. Russell came into the world on November 15th, 1930, and was born to Edd and Eva Dalton. She was the oldest of 3 girls and her two sisters’ names were Geraldine and Nelda. Joyce loved her family dearly and was very close to her sisters, especially Geraldine. That said, as we all know, Joyce had a major loss early on in life when she lost her mother, Eva, to tuberculosis at age 9 while living in LaRue, Texas. For the next few years following her mother’s passing, she lived with her grandparents in Grapevine, Texas. At age 12 her father and new step-mother, Emmy Lou Dalton moved to Grapevine and she was reunited with her father. Joyce went on to graduate from Grapevine High School in 1948.

Edd (Papa) owned and operated a Café in Grapevine on Main Street. It was during this time while Joyce was working for her father as a waitress that she met and fell in love with Wylie Buford Russell, Jr. They got married when she was 16 years old and went on the have 2 wonderful kids, Wylie Bruce Russell and Lisa Kaye Russell.

At age 25 Joyce went to work for Collins Radio (aka Rockwell International). She pursued a successful 35-year career where she worked her way up to a Manager in the Industrial Engineering department where she oversaw a team of people. In fact, she and her team worked on what we know as the Hell Fire Missile which is still in use by our military today.

Joyce was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ being a member of the United Methodist Church for many, many years. She LOVED working with the children’s ministry and taking care of all the little ones. Joyce was a giving and loving person with a heart to serve.

She is survived by many loving family members which include her 2 children, 5 grandchildren, spouses, & 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, stepmother, 2 younger sisters, and other loved ones.

Today we recognize not just her past life, but her NEW LIFE that she is experiencing at this very moment. I say this with confidence in God’s promises - John 3:16 tells us that, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. According to this promise, at this moment, she is sitting in that great cloud watching and cheering fellow believers on just as it says in Hebrews 12:1, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… What an amazing, awesome image!! As we carry on in life, we should all strive to run our race with patient endurance pressing forward to the time when we too will join that great cloud of witnesses to cheer on brothers and sisters still in this race we call life.

A graveside service for Joyce will be held Saturday, February 12, 2022, from 2 PM at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, 5725 COLLEYVILLE BLVD, COLLEYVILLE, TX 76034.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bluebonnethills.com for the Russell family.