Thomas T. Joyce

1936 - 2026 Thomas "Tom" Joyce of Altadena, CA passed away peacefully on January 14, 2026.
Tom attended St. Elizabeth's Catholic Elementary School; San Gabriel Mission High School; Blackstone School of Law (LLBJD); and served in the U.S. Coast Guard [Clover (1941) stationed Kodiak, Alaska]. He married Mary Diane Joyce (nee Coover) (1936-2023) at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Arcadia in 1957, beginning a life of fortitude and family that shaped his life and his civic engagement.
Tom was the co-proprietor, along with his father, Howard T. Joyce (1900-1978), of Joyce's Market on Hill Street in Pasadena in the 1950s-60s. He returned to school in the 70s, receiving his AA from Pasadena City College while studying real estate. A successful realtor and advocate of Altadena, he led Tom Joyce Realty on Lake Avenue in Pasadena from the 1980s through 2020.
Joyce was active in myriad organizations, serving as President of the Altadena Chamber of Commerce (1984); and as member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena Exchange Club, Rotary Club, and Serra Club, among others. Outsized in stature and in personality, Tom was a jubilant Santa Claus for Altadena's Christmas Tree Lane on his motorcycle, and for Pasadena City Hall for Toys for Tots via helicopter. In later years he drew upon his humor and love of football to recite invocations for lunches with the Pasadena (Rose Bowl) Quarterback's Club.
Tom is survived by his brother Theodore M. Joyce and sister Della M. Marshall; his children and their spouses T. Christopher (and Colette) Joyce, Patrick F. (and Melanie) Joyce, Kimberly M. (and Randy) Magnin, Julie A. Joyce (and JR Scalise), and Elizabeth (and Bill) Griffin; and by ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The family requests that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church, St. Vincent de Paul (St. Elizabeth Conference), Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, and Sisters of the Holy Names. A memorial mass to honor and celebrate his life takes place on Friday February 27, 2026 at 10am at St. Elizabeth's in Altadena.