Joyce Hamilton

1919 - 2023

Joyce Johannesen Hamilton, 103, of Lakeridge, VA, passed away peacefully on Monday, March13, 2023 at Westminster at Lake Ridge, Woodbridge, VA.

Joyce was born December 2, 1919 in Erwin, South Dakota to Martin Johannesen and Cora Mae (Schanck) Johannesen. She attended Erwin Consolidated School and graduated in 1937 as Valedictorian of a graduating class of 15 students. She attended Nettleton Commercial College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, graduating in 1938. Joyce worked as Executive Secretary for the Director of U.S. Employment Service in Aberdeen, South Dakota throughout the World War II years.

Joyce married Charles Samuel Hamilton (a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant during World War II, running troop trains from Chicago to Los Angeles whose route included South Dakota), on April 14, 1946 in Carbondale, Illinois. Charles was an opera singer and actor who performed in Memphis, Tennessee, Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York. New York City became the mecca for Joyce and Charles. Charles became a senior Systems Analyst for IBM and Joyce was a homemaker, and later an Executive Secretary at Xerox in Stamford, Connecticut. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, Levittown, New York, Teaneck, New Jersey, Norwalk, Connecticut and Goshen, Connecticut throughout their 55 year marriage. Joyce remained in Goshen, Connecticut following Charles' death in 2001 until July of 2014, when she moved to Westminster at Lake Ridge, in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Joyce had many passions: gardening, music, theatre, opera, New York City nightlife, sports, fishing, bridge and travel. The UCONN Women's Basketball teams, the New York Yankees, and the Chicago Bulls NBA teams were favorites. She loved Tammy, the family dog and the great grand-dogs, Archie McPhee Burton, Wolfie, Beastie, Mookie, Maggie, Skye, Kimba and great grand-cats, Henry, Cody and Bella. She was a firm but loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

Joyce is survived by son, Charles S. Hamilton II and daughter-in-law, Debra Whitehead Hamilton; son-in-law, Michael Jay Hambro; grandchildren, Susan Hambro Burton, Michael Brian Burton, Karen Ellen Hambro, James Arthur Spence, Charles S. Hamilton III, Kristin Buckstad Hamilton, Michael David Hamilton, Christina Marie Hamilton, and great grandchildren, Ashby Hambro Burton, Oliver Elliott Burton, David Hoyle Hamilton and Jamie Larae Hamilton; as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Joyce is preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Dorothy Anderson Wittrock, Emaline Kussman, Shirley Crist Macrander, Catherine Kellar Currier; husband, Charles Samuel Hamilton and daughter Patricia Susan Hamilton.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. in the Potomac Room at Westminster at Lake Ridge, 12191 Clipper Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192. Interment will be held in Carbondale, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to American Cancer Society at donate.cancer.org or American Diabetes Association at diabetes.org .

Condolences may be left at www.millerfuneralhome.net .