Joyce Heatherley

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and national and international bestselling author of 26 Christian books, died at her home in Texarkana, TX on June 16, 2021. Francis Heatherley, her loving husband, closest friend, caregiver and publisher was with her as she passed from his arms to the arms of Jesus.

Joyce was born in Saginaw, Michigan on February 6, 1932 to Reverend Clifford Miller and Marian Uzon Miller. She spent her early childhood in Saginaw, the suburban Detroit area, and Owen Sound, Ont., Canada where her father pastored several churches. She accepted Christ as her savior when she was 7 years old, and her faith has been the most important thing in her life ever since.  In her early teens, her family moved to Pasadena, CA where Rev. Miller became Dean of Men at Pasadena Bible College and pastored a church in nearby Reseda.

Joyce’s musical gifts began to surface when she was three or four years of age. Her talent was so apparent that she was often asked to sing at church, then at school, and by the time she was eight or nine she was accompanying herself on the piano.  Then came the competition events, and at 13 she won the state of Michigan’s prestigious award for best young vocalist.

After Joyce’s family moved from Michigan to California, she enrolled at Pasadena City College and completed both her high school and junior college diploma programs as a music major.  Then she studied privately under a well-known operatic vocal coach.  Soon one of the highlights of her life occurred when Phil Kerr invited her to sing at his famous Monday Night Musicals held in the 3,000 seat Pasadena City Auditorium.  On top of that, Dale Evans invited Joyce to sing for her Hollywood Christian Group and surprised her by asking that she give her testimony before singing.  Joyce protested that she was not a public speaker.  But Dale won out and Joyce’s public speaking career was launched. From that time forward she was invited to be the keynote speaker, most always with her music as an integral element of the event.

Joyce’s new-found public speaking talent led to a popular daily radio program in the Los Angeles area, which was followed by a widely read, monthly women’s column in King’s Business Magazine, which led to a book contract with Zondervan Publishing and ultimately 26 books published by eight different publishers. Then came her national daily radio program and her His Stubborn Love film series that was shown to over 10,000,000 viewers. Joyce also received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

Joyce’s avowed mission was to help hurting people, whoever they were, wherever they were, whenever she could, in the best way she could. Until her memory dimmed in her late eighties, she never forgot that commitment.  Nor have her readers forgotten her.  She continually receives full-page letters from fans who read their first “Joyce” book forty or fifty years ago and just ordered their 10th copy. Or from new readers who only a week ago discovered one of her books, like Balcony People or My BlueBlanket, and their lives have been transformed.  Only the Lord knows how long Joyce’s presence will be felt in this world.  Thanks to him for all the lives he has blessed and will bless through all the efforts, tears and smiles she invested in helping hurting people.

Surviving Joyce is her husband and forever-love Francis Heatherley of Texarkana, TX; daughter Laurie Jacob of Upland, CA; son Richard Landorf, Jr. with wife Teresa of Alta Loma, CA; stepdaughters Shawn Crews of Waco, TX, Sharlyn Roberts of Dallas, TX and Shalone Willms with husband Fred of Coppell, TX;  brother Clifford Miller with wife Bonita of Longmont, CO; sister Marilyn Hontz with husband Reverend Dr. Paul Hontz of Zeeland, MI; brother-in-law, Erskine Heatherley with wife Marilyn of Chapel Hill, NC; sisters-in-law, Sue Alice Woody with husband William of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Celeste Morgan of Philadelphia, PA, and Grayce Lee Lawrence with husband Col. Larry Lawrence of W. Melbourne, FL; nine grandchildren (April Smith with husband Mark, Rick Landorf with wife Bree, James Jacob with wife Lisa, Jennifer Jacob, Derek Willms with wife Allison, Rachel Willms, Lauren Jemeyson, Hailey Griffin with husband Josh, and Ty Heatherley); and ten great grandchildren as well as all of her nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives that she loved so dearly.

Joyce was preceded in death by her son David Landorf, her mother Marian Miller, her father Reverend Clifford Miller, her father-in-law Erskine X Heatherley, her mother-in-law Hettie Lee Heatherley, her stepson-in-law Duke Roberts and stepson Shayne Heatherley.

The funeral service and reception for family and friends will be held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at 2 pm at the Chapelwood Funeral Home (1015 N. Kings Hwy. Nash, TX 75569) followed by a graveside prayer service at the adjoining Chapelwood Cemetery in the Amazing Grace garden. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in honor of Joyce Landorf Heatherley to the Danny Thomas-St Jude Research Hospital.