Joyce S Zabriskie

Joyce Elizabeth Stewart Zabriskie passed away Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Houston, TX. She was born April 4, 1949, in Ogden, UT, daughter of Merrill and Julia Wach Stewart. She attended school in Ogden, graduating from Ogden High School in 1967. She graduated from Weber State University in 1972 with a degree in Data Processing.

She married her high school sweetheart, Andrew Zabriskie, September 4, 1969, in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joyce and Andy had four children: Jennifer (David) Amadio, Steven (Aletheia) Zabriskie, Kathryn (Jason) Tullos, and Melissa (Dan) Prince and 14 grandchildren. She looked forward to her first great-grandchild, due in August.

Joyce earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees in Data Processing, one of the first women at Weber State to do so. She used those skills throughout her life, especially in understanding her iPhone and developing advanced video game skills. After moving to Houston, she studied Accounting, traveling all over Houston to attend classes with her friend. In fulfillment of a life-long desire she got another associate degree in nursing, becoming an RN at the age of 50 and working in Labor and Delivery for five years. She and Kathryn took all their classes together and graduated the same day.

Joyce was a renaissance woman, interested in the world around her seen and unseen. She loved beauty wherever it occurred. She took myriad photos of sunsets, flowers, and birds. Her home was a work of art and her pride and joy. She often said her home had “Joyce shui.” Christmas at the Zabriskie home was a wonderland. Every room in the house had some sort of decoration and one of her grandchildren once counted about 30 different Christmas trees. Joyce had always been an amazing seamstress, making clothes and dolls for her children; the last few years she developed a love for quilting and made one for almost all her relatives (and kept many more). Not only did she love quilting, she loved her “sisters” in her quilting group. They were a great blessing to her. Joyce also developed a keen interest in, of all things, astrophysics and could understand (or at least ponder) the relationship between the general and quantum theories of relativity and the space-time continuum. Before she passed away, she was reading a book of compiled letters written by Albert Einstein.

Joyce was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At various times she was a ward Relief Society president, a ward and stake Young Women’s president, and a Sunday School and Primary teacher. She also served as an ordinance worker in the Houston Temple.

Joyce has been re-united with her parents and brother, Curt, on the other side of the veil and is survived by her sister, Barbara A. Stewart, of Albuquerque, NM. She is survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren: Heather Amadio Larson, Jason, and Tyler Amadio; Grace, Grant, Rhett, and Faith Tullos; George, Ben, Henry, Sam, Jack, and Pearl Prince; and Arrowyn Joy Zabriskie.

Joyce’s funeral will be held on Wednesday April 26, 2023, at 10:00 am, preceded by a viewing at 9:00 am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Chapel, 16203 Longenbaugh Drive in Houston, TX. She will be buried at Houston National Cemetery. Instead of flowers, please make donations to International Topical Steroid Awareness Network (itsan.org/donate), which is near and dear to our family.