Joyce "Jody" Virginia Eareckson

Earth to join her husband in heaven on May 4, 2017.

Born November 4, 1927 in Birmingham Alabama, and raised by her parents Flossie May and

Zemery Zloo McMinn, Joyce thought she would never leave the deep south. However she met

the northeastern raised man of her dreams, John “Leif” Eareckson, and married him on October

15,1959. He whisked her out of the south to all directions, providing excitement and new

challenges along the way. The girl who had never previously left her home state, learned to

navigate Houston, be a private pilot in California and embrace snow in the north, all before

having their only child Sandy. They eventually settled in Michigan, where the three of them built

a rich life together. Joyce proved herself to be a tireless and devoted wife, mother and

community volunteer, dedicating her time and energy to her family, church, her daughter’s

schools and the local university. After Sandy graduated high school and moved away to

continue her education, she enjoyed 12 years of empty nesting with Leif, traveling world wide,

and helping plan his imminent retirement, when he suddenly passed away in February of 1992.

Although at the time she would have said her life was over, it instead grew into an amazing

new chapter. Three grandchildren were welcomed, and she truly became the perfect

grandmother, becoming known to all of her Texas family and friends as Gramma Jody. She not

only came to Texas often to see them, but became our “Adventure Gramma” with her family.

Whether hiking in Mexico, riding a jet ski or snowmobile, white water rafting in Big Bend, or

camping for the first time in her life at the age of 78 years, she was game for anything.

More recently, having finally acquiesced to moving closer to her daughter, she found a new

family at Brookdale Senior Living Facility in San Angelo. After a calm, content slowing down,

Gramma Jody made her final farewell to this life.

She is preceded in death by her husband John Leif Eareckson, and grandchild Joshua Logan

Seifert. She is survived by a daughter, Saundra Eareckson Seifert, grandchildren Leif

Eareckson Seifert and Virginia Leah Seifert, and son in law Stephen Seifert.

Our appreciation goes to Dr. John Harvey for his compassionate care, Brookdale for making

Jody’s last residence truly a home, to Amy, for gently guiding her daughter in these final years of

life, to Brooke, her loving last “new friend,” and to HOSA for helping to make her transition

peaceful and painless. A memorial service will be held in the future, as her ashes our joined

with her husband’s at the church they shared, Christ Church Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills,

Michigan.