Joyce Helen Masselink

1938 - 2022

MASSELINK, Joyce Helen
(nee Van Dyke)
August 10, 1938 - December 29, 2022
Joyce was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October; started chemo treatment in November, fell on December 12, fractured a vertebra, was taken to emergency at the Jubilee, moved through the I.C.U, to palliative care, and endured 14 days of excruciating pain and discomfort; heavily sedated in the last 6 hours of her life, she slipped away peacefully on the December 29 with her husband Jake holding her hand.

Joyce was born in Edmonton, Alberta to Dick and Grace Van Dyke; the eldest of 8 children. Taught school at the age of 18, received a bachelor's degree majoring in Sociology and Psychology from Calvin College, Michigan. Moved to Toronto and received a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Toronto in 1964. She cut short her Master's program to marry Jake Masselink on August 20, 1964, moved to Victoria, BC in 1965, and became a very active member of the professional B.C. Association of Social Workers for the rest of her career serving in many capacities including vice-president and president and hence as B.C.'s board member on the Canadian Association of Social Workers; always focused on promoting the pursuit of excellence in her profession.

Joyce worked for the provincial government's adoption unit undertaking home studies and providing adoption workshops and seminars to ministry staff province-wide. She served on numerous social welfare boards; was employed by The Cridge Centre for the Family; founded/operated Associated Counseling and Adoption Services from our home; brought like-minded professionals together to establish Choices Futures Society of British Columbia; it initiated Choices, Adoption and Counseling Services agency with Joyce as executive director. The Province licensed Choices to provide the full range of domestic and foreign adoption and counseling services, with contract social workers strategically located across the province and folks connecting it to adoption agencies in China, Japan, Russia, Romania, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, USA, and Haiti. Her pre-occupation was always focused on the best interests of the child! Choices placed approx. 1000 children in loving families over its span of operation.

Joyce had a deep rooted sense of honesty, integrity, commitment, love and faithfulness. She managed our family home; nurtured our children: Derek, Stephen and Beth-Anne; insisted each of them was well schooled; introduced to extra-curricular activities that matched their interests and giftedness; and ensured that our home reflected a clear sense of belonging in the communities in which we lived displaying our shared Christian faith and values in the way we lived our lives. She welcomed Michelle and Tania, and more lately, Kristi into our family. She embraced our precious five granddaughters with a heartfelt love that was very deep: Ashley, Avery, Thea, Quinn and Everest who affectionately named her "Ami"! Joyce lived for the well-being of her children and grandchildren and they loved her dearly.

Joyce loved music and sang alto with the UVIC chorus for over 45 years! She loved to read and was a member of three book clubs. She loved to laugh; a spontaneous, infectious and distinctive laugh. Her memory of people was unbelievably astounding for detail and positivity. Simply awe inspiring!

She served the Christian community as a counselor; our Christian Reformed Church as elder, and regionally as its sexual abuse counselor.

In Joyce's church, personal, family, professional, and our marital relationship her motivation was always and unequivocally focused on and pre-occupied with "their" best interests. For her it was a quiet and total self denial in the service of others. She was completely incapable of tooting her own horn!

She now finds herself luxuriating in the continuous uninterrupted flow of time as only God knows it; free of pain, discomfort or dysfunction; the Kingdom of Heaven.

Her body was interned at the Royal Oak Burial Park, in an intimate family funeral service on January 04, 2023.

So, let's toot her horn in a Memorial Celebration planned in her honour set for 1p.m. (Pacific Standard Time), Saturday, 18 February at Victoria Christian Reformed Church, 661 Agnes St. to be "live-streamed" on https://youtube.com/live/NSUkLwummfo?feature=share