Evelyn Joyce Collins

Evelyn “Joyce” Conyers-Collins was born on June 22, 1932, in San Jose, California. She peacefully entered eternal rest on June 19, 2022, three days short of her 90th birthday. She is survived by her five children; Art, James, Evelyn, Gary, and Micha, and 12 grandchildren; Michael, Ryan C., Justin, Jonathan, Joshua, Brianna, Ashley, Ryan K., Ian, Travis, Hailey, and Sammy, and 21 great-grandchildren, her niece, Cynthia, three great-nephews; David Jr., Thomas, and Patrick, and her great-niece, Emily.

Joyce was born and raised in downtown SJ in a firefighter family, and her early life found her exploring the Bay Area with her two brothers, Bill and Sonny, and hanging out at the firehouse where her father was a Captain. Joyce graduated from San Jose High School in 1950, and when her parents wouldn’t allow her to join the military, she started a brief career at Pacific Telephone and Telegraph as a switchboard operator. Once she married and started a family, she embraced the role of a stay-at-home mother. Eventually, she rejoined the workforce in a male-dominated profession climbing telephone poles as a Lineman for Pacific Bell. According to an interview in 1974 in the San Jose Mercury, Joyce explained, “Some people think I’m nuts for doing this kind of work,” she continued, “But how else can a gal pick up good money like a man does?”

She enjoyed taking road trips in her van, and her favorite destination was her family home in Tombstone, Arizona, near her father’s birthplace. She also loved taking cruises, sightseeing around the states, and traveling worldwide to places like Germany and the UK. At the end of the day, she was most happy at home soaking away her worries in the hot tub. She adored animals and has adopted countless pets over the years. She never met a stray that she didn’t rescue.

A dedicated mother, grandmother, and aunt, Joyce cherished her time with her enormous family. Whether it was the Fourth of July, our annual Thanksgiving “Turkey Friday” gathering, a birthday celebration, or any old excuse to get everyone together, she never needed a reason to celebrate life. Her door was always wide open and she was often heard saying, “the more the merrier.” Her warmth and sense of humor will be long remembered by those whom she made smile.

Joyce will be greatly missed by her loving family, friends, and all of the people whom she adopted along the way. She joins her beloved parents Honey and Papa, Aunt Sadie, her brothers, Sonny and Bill, her son William, and baby daughter Carolyn, in eternal rest.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Joyce’s name to one of the following charities:

San Jose Fire Museum

http://www.sjfiremuseum.org/company/donate/

1661 Senter Road, #D1

San Jose, CA. 95112

City of San José Animal Care Center

https://licensepet.com/wl3/don/snjswd/574

San José Animal Care Center

2750 Monterey Rd.

San Jose, CA 95111