Joyce Maso

Joyce Maso, of Skillman, passed away Sunday, November 21, 2021, at Princeton Medical Center. She was 89. Born in Newark, she lived in Maplewood, East Brunswick and Princeton before moving to Stonebridge at Montgomery in Skillman. A true Jersey Girl. Joyce had a life-long love of teaching which did not end with her retirement as the head of the high school English department after more than twenty years at Piscataway High School in New Jersey. While there, her passion for Shakespeare and the theatre inspired a number of her students to become internationally acclaimed playwrights and screenwriters. She was also immensely proud of her granddaughter's accomplishments as a stage actress in Chicago and New York. In addition to the theatre, Joyce had a great love for the fine arts. This love was made manifest in myriad ways. She spent many years as a volunteer docent, leading groups at the Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick, NJ. She enjoyed discovering new artists and many of her finds could be seen in her home. She was also an avid supporter of the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton NJ. After her retirement she met Henry Maso, the love of her life and husband of 23 years. With Henry, she was able to fully realize her aspirations and love for travel, both domestically and internationally. Joyce's great sense of adventure was matched by Henry's, and his work travels took the both of them across the country and across the world. Henry passed away in 2009. In her downtime, Joyce was an immense fan of challenging intellectual games like bridge and scrabble, a passion she shared with her son (though she may have regretted sharing that passion once she discovered that she could no longer beat him). She was also a lover (but not practitioner) of the culinary arts and baked goods, her favorite of which were her pastry chef daughter's now infamous brownies. Joyce is survived by her son David Milton of Myrtle Beach, SC; her daughter Leslie Milton of Williamstown, MA; and her granddaughter Emma Rosenthal of Chicago, IL. Graveside services will be held on Friday, November 26th, 1:00 pm, at Mt.Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin. Arrangements are by The Crabiel Home for Funerals, 170 N Main St.-at Riva Avenue, Milltown. You may sign the online condolence "guestbook" at www.crabiel.com