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Joyce Van Tuyl Obituary
Joyce Beth (Shapero) Van Tuyl died peacefully in her home on March 26, 2016 in Seattle Washington due to complications of lung cancer. Mrs. Van Tuyl was born on October 23, 1925 in Highland Park, Michigan to her parents Nelson and Elsa Shapero. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1945. She married David H. Van Tuyl in 1947. The Van Tuyl's moved to San Francisco then Palo Alto where David worked as an Engineer and Joyce managed the household, worked in retail and Real Estate, later becoming a volunteer Braillist and teacher of Braille, specializing in mathematics and science. Joyce moved to Seattle in 1985 to take a job doing what she loved with the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library. She retired in 2011 and continued to dedicate her time to the Braille community.
Mrs. Van Tuyl is survived by her son Kenneth Van Tuyl (Virginia) and daughter Katherine McLain (Joseph), 5 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, sisters Caroline Allgrim and Anita Shaperd, sister-in-law Hilda Kahle, and their extended families.
In addition to her service to the blind and spending time with family and friends, Joyce enjoyed sailing, travelling, playing Scrabble and Bridge, watching professional baseball, and had a passion for literacy and the arts.
A memorial will be held for Mrs. Van Tuyl on April 30, 2016, at 2:00 P.M. at Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church in Seattle. All are welcome to attend and celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her memory to your favorite charity or any organization that serves the blind.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Joyce Van Tuyl
Sponsored by The Family.
4 Entries
Christy Cutting
July 20, 2016
I knew Joyce through our mutual membership in the CA Transcribers and Educators for the Blind. When I moved to Seattle from CA, I followed her to the WTTB Library and learned the system there. Later, when I was editor for the CTEVH newsletter, I contacted Joyce for her memories of one of the founders, Fred Sinclair. Her remarks about their history together were so touching and heartfelt.
Joyce's expertise and professionalism was strongly missed when she retired from the braille community. I know that she is missed from the many other communities that she joined.
All my sympathy to her family and friends.
Gail Campbell
May 4, 2016
Joyce, my aunt by marriage, was a Cracker Jack. Four-star generals couldn't hold a candle to Joyce Shapero Van Tuyl. She organized whatever she saw needed doing and got it done. "Perfection" might have been her middle name. I doubt "can't" was in her vocabulary. She was a chemical engineer when most women were, if anything professional, nurses or teachers. Mary C. Van Tuyl, Joyce's mother in law, was a psychologist who, after retirement, started a newspaper at the retirement home she lived in last. Joyce's sister in law, Marian Van Tuyl Campbell, was also ahead of her time, becoming a dance educator, publisher, adjudicator for the National Endownment for the Arts in dance, and finally, a Jin Shin Jyutsu accupressure practitioner. Joyce's daughter, Kathy Van Tuyl McLain, has been and is currently Dean of Development at a California university. I feel lucky that women of such stature have been/are in my family. What wonderful role models they are. Gail R. Campbell
Bill Long
April 3, 2016
Joyce was quite a lady, strong, determined, funny. I was blessed to have known, worked with and grown up around. My condolences to her family and many friends-Bill Long
Katie
April 3, 2016
Joyce was an active participant in my Play Reading Group at Ida Culver House. She read many roles--and memorably. She had a keen mind and made many astute observations. She will be missed.
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