Joyce Hackney Raudat

RAUDAT, Joyce Hackney Joyce Hackney Raudat, 63, died on Sunday, (May 16, 2004) at Harborside Healthcare at The Reservoir in West Hartford after many years of living with and rising above the devastating effects of rheumatoid arthritis. The daughter of Ivan and the late Lorraine Hackney, Joyce grew up in Wilbraham, MA with her younger sister Joan, spending time every summer at her favorite place, Canoga Island in Lake Cayuga, NY. She graduated from Classical High School in Springfield, MA, found challenging work at Stanford Knapp in Middletown, where she met and married John Raudat. They designed and built their own home in Madison, finished just in time for the birth of their son John. After several years of a normal and happy life, the first signs of a great change began to occur. The advent of rheumatoid arthritis sent Joyce on a lifelong odyssey confronting the demon of her illness, which over the years left her completely blind, nearly deaf and unable to move without unbearable pain. After many operations, hospital stays, a divorce and blindness, Joyce move in 1986 into an independent living apartment at newly opened New Horizons Village in Unionville. Thus began what Joyce described as "the best years of my disabled life." She started a weekly Village newspaper, which chronicled the events and lives around her. She became a member of the Board of Directors of New Horizons, Inc. Later she initiated a writers' workshop at the Village, taught by volunteers from the Miss Porter's School's faculty, out of which came a monthly magazine for Village contributors, edited by Joyce. During these years she wrote over 70 stories and poems, including an autobiography. Joyce hosted many Christmas and birthday celebrators in her apartment for her growing family; her son John, his wife, Sharon and their children, Mitchell and Hailey, whom Joyce adored. Her apartment was also a gathering place for good friends from all over, attracted by her wit and courage. When Joyce's illness progressed to the point that she could no longer live at New Horizons, she moved to Harborside Health Care, where she has lived and been cared for over the last five years. During this time as her hearing diminished, leaving her unable to follow her beloved UCONN men's and women's basketball teams on the radio or listen to books from Library for the Blind, her world shrank in scope to the walls of her room. A group of devoted friends developed, initiated at first by members of First Church in Farmington. Among the 12 friends who have visited her weekly or as substitutes, Joyce assigned someone to read to her a variety of books, another to transcribe her annual Christmas letter which went out to over 100 acquaintances, one to keep her up to date on the basketball scene and Tiger Woods, another to take care of her houseplants, one to pay her bills and help her answer correspondence. All of these volunteers have expressed, time and time again, the uplifting joy and admiration they feel, having had the privilege of working with and developing loving friendships with this remarkable woman. The memorial service will be held Friday, May 21, at 1 p.m. in the Meetinghouse of the First Church of Christ, Congregational, 75 Main St., Unionville with the Revs. Ned W. Edwards, Jr. and Jane Rowe officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to New Horizons, Bliss Memorial Drive, Unionville 06085. Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.