Joyce E. Arsenault Schofield

Joyce was born in Red Beach, ME, on March 28, 1934. She was one of four girls born to the late Charles and Vera (McVey) MacDonald. Joyce and her sisters, Frances (Norman) Bearor, Connie (Jack) Maillet, and Jeannette (Richard) Wallace, grew up in Anson, ME and attended school across the river in Madison, ME.

Joyce was lucky enough to have loved and married two devoted and loving men. Her first husband, Albert J. Arsenault, grew up in Madison, ME. They married in 1954 and together had four children: Audrey Arsenault, Alison (Dwight) Fischer, Paula (Michael) Rocca, and Eric Arsenault. They lived in Maine, Pennsylvania, and then settled in New Hampshire, first in Plaistow and then in Bethlehem, where Albert worked in the shoe industry and Joyce worked as a homemaker, office assistant, medical transcriptionist and medical coding specialist. After 34 years of marriage, Albert died at the age of 58, on September 17, 1988.

Not long after Albert’s death, Joyce moved to Keene, NH. She met Charles E. Schofield, both of whom worked at Spofford Hall. Joyce and Charles married on December 4, 1993. Charles was a long-time resident of Keene, where he had worked as a medical examiner, physician and surgeon. His career spanned 40+ years; he was well known and loved by many Keene residents and families. With their marriage, their family included five additional children: Mark Schofield, Karen (late husband Rick) Karlen, Anne (Jochen) Fries, Paul (Kristi) Schofield and Jocelin (Joel) Gillies. Charles passed away in 2017 after 24 years of marriage to Joyce.

Joyce was an avid reader, and over the years dabbled in knitting, golf and painting with watercolors. She instilled in her children a love of animals of all kinds, and there was always a dog or a cat in the family. She was, however, especially fond of cats, Daisy and Gabby, in particular. Joyce and Charles were very active in St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, where they both volunteered in many different roles over the years. Joyce was a member of the Catholic Daughters. She was involved in bake sales, holiday fairs, preparing and offering bereavement meals and volunteered in the church gift shop.

Joyce was a gentle, sweet soul. She did not like being in the limelight or talking about herself. She had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and spend time with her family. She will be missed by so many, her children and stepchildren listed above as well as her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and caregivers.

Her final days were spent at the Cheshire County Maplewood Nursing Home. Our family would like to thank the staff of Maplewood for the kindness and respect they showed every day in caring for our mom before and during her death. We would also like to thank the caregivers of D&S Elder Services for the support and companionship they so tirelessly shared with her.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at 11:00am in St. Bernard Church, 185 Main Street, Keene. Burial of the urn with committal prayers will be held on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 2:00pm at the Maine Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, 143 Blue Star Avenue, Augusta, ME.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joyce Schofield’s memory to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 W. Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446; or by visiting www.monadnockhumanesociety.org/donate/.