Mary Joyce Giles Johnson, on November 5th, Joyce Johnson passed on to her eternal home. She had recently celebrated her 90th birthday.

Mary Joyce Giles was born to Frederick and Mary Giles at the Norwegian Hospital in Chicago on August 25, 1928. She was the only sibling of older brother, Fredrick Harvey Junior.

Chicago (Mayfair area) was home until the family moved to Stratford, Wisconsin when Joyce was 2 years old. She lived there until entering junior high school when the family moved to Marshfield, Wisconsin. Joyce was an active participant in high school sports, speech, cheerleading, as well as church youth activities. Early employment included picking beans for the local cannery, child care, summer camp work, teaching with the Rural Bible Crusade, and happy work at the local F.W. Woolworth store as well as waitressing at a local diner.

She graduated from Marshfield High School in 1946 and headed to William Jennings Bryan College in Tennessee for her freshman year of college. She transferred to Wheaton College and graduated with a degree in physical education in 1950. She enjoyed her time at college, training, growing, and establishing friendships.

Upon graduation, she accepted a position at Wheaton Academy as P.E. teacher and girls' dormitory supervisor. While working at WA, she met and married Melvin Johnson, a science teacher at WA. Mel and Joyce quickly became the 'parents' of the students at WA (at that time a boarding school). The relationships created during those years have lasted through the decades. Also, during their years at WA, they added two sons to their family, Douglas and Stephen.

Several years after leaving WA, Joyce took a position as a guidance counselor at Wheaton North High School where she was able to continue her God-given ability of creating and developing relationships with ALL the students under her care (and others who may have just wandered into her office). She continued at Wheaton North until the mid 80's. Each year she gave a New Testament with a personal note to each of her senior students. She so enjoyed the relationships with the students and fellow staff members that developed over her 30+ years in education. With both Mel and Joyce being teachers, they were able to spend their summers at their summer get-away located in Southwestern Michigan. The cottage became a wonderful location for many family and friend get-togethers throughout the years, adding yet another element to Joyce's repertoire of developing and maintaining relationships.

Through the years, Joyce found great joy in miscellaneous clubs and volunteer endeavors, such as Wheaton Women's Club, Literacy Volunteers, Missionary Furlough Homes, ESL, church youth and adult groups at the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church, Bible studies, church library, ad infinitum.

Joyce is well known for the Bible studies she led throughout her life (even up until a few weeks ago). Her voracious desire to know God's word and share the knowledge with others was at times overwhelming, especially when she lost her research document on the computer.

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years. She is survived by her two sons-Doug (Cheryl) of Arvada, Colorado, and Stephen (Brenda) of Wheaton, Illinois, and five grandchildren – Katelyn, Krista, Soren, Kendra, and Scott, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She would want to give praise to God for the privilege of being in the family of God, for her dear family, and for the wonderful family of friends who loved, supported, and encouraged her through her happy, joyous, God-blessed journey here on earth.

A visitation will be held Friday, November 9, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., in Wheaton, IL. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Compass Church Wheaton Campus ,520 Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187. Interment will be private.

Memorial donations may be made out to Mel Johnson Memorial Fund C/O Wheaton Academy , 900 Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago, IL 60185.