Joyce Hale Burns

Joyce Hale Burns, “Mere” to her family, loving mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 5th at the age of 97 years. She was surrounded by her loving daughters and welcomed into Heaven by her beloved husband and daughter.

Mere cherished her childhood in Franklin, LA with her Mama, Papa and 12 siblings, all of whom she loved and adored deeply, and spoke about often. She met her great love and husband, Dr. James C. Burns, at Charity Hospital, where he completed residency and she began her nursing career. He eventually moved to Hotel Dieu Hospital, while Mere later became a nurse cadet at Lakeshore Hospital during the end of WWII.

Mere always treasured the opportunity to bring her family together over Sunday dinners and holiday meals, where her legendary salads brought tremendous joy, and during Mardi Gras celebrations, where she reveled in doubloons, brownies, Randazzo’s king cakes, and the occasional whiskey sour. She loved fiercely, gave of herself generously and left behind a family who will miss her greatly.

An active member of her community and resident of Metairie, LA, Mere served as a member of the Altar Society at St Francis Cabrini, Representative of the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women’s State Central Committee and Former President of the Jefferson Parish Republican Women’s Club. She was an active member of the East Jefferson Hospital Women’s Auxiliary, where she volunteered on various projects including adult literacy programs. Mere also supported the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and St. Jude Hospital. She was a devout Catholic and parishioner of St. Angela Merici Catholic Church in Metairie, LA.

Joyce is survived by her daughters: JoAnn Hebert, Sarah Fernandez, and Carol Marques; her grandchildren: Madeline Howard, Matthew and Jeremy Hebert, Blake, Blaire, and Taylor Fernandez, Torey Gvoich, Laura Marques Raley, James Marques, Kelly Wisner, Jessica St. Pierre, and Molly Autin; 19 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Ruth James. She is preceded in death by her parents: Daisy L. and Robert L. Hale; husband, Dr. James C. Burns; daughter, Madeline “DeeDee” Burns; 4 brothers: Ronald, Edward, Malcolm and Lawrence Hale; and 7 sisters: Daisy Crowell, Madeline Bruno, Ursula Hale, Elnora Rand, Lillian Hale, Eunice Driskill and Flora Mae Naquin.

A visitation will take place at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home on Friday, January 13 from 10am – 12pm followed by a mass at 12pm and burial ceremony, where she will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband and daughter.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her honor to St. Angela Merici Catholic Church or St. Jude Hospital.