Joyce Ellen Bailey

Joyce Ellen Bailey, 70, of Brookings, South Dakota, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026, after a sudden and aggressive illness, surrounded by her sons and family.

Joyce was born July 12, 1955, in Atlantic, Iowa, the daughter of James “Doc” Bailey and Roberta “Bertie” Bailey. She arrived fifteen minutes after her twin sister, Janet, and liked to joke that she was only born second because she kicked Janet out first.

The twins grew up in Atlantic alongside their brothers, Dennis and John, and their sisters, Carol and Mary Lou. They attended Jackson Grade School and spent their childhood outdoors, running the neighborhood until someone called them home. The Bailey home was always full of animals, dogs, cats, and horses. Joyce was an animal lover.

In 1968, their father accepted a position as Extension Veterinarian at South Dakota State University, and the family moved to Brookings during what the kids all described as the biggest snowstorm imaginable. Though the move was not welcomed at the time, Brookings would become home.

Joyce attended Brookings High School, where she was social and spirited, rarely without friends nearby. She graduated in 1973, carrying with her friendships that would last decades. She went on to attend South Dakota State University and earned a two-year degree.

In the late 1970s, she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where she lived with her sister Carol. It was there that she discovered her love of fishing. The two would head out at night to fish under the lights along Ocean Drive, walk the beaches looking for shells, and stay out longer than they planned, talking and casting lines into the dark.

Joyce later settled in San Antonio. There she worked for Thornton and Somers, an insurance defense law firm, where she became a trusted legal secretary. The attorneys she supported relied on her knowledge, precision, and detailed personality.

In the early 1980s, while out with friends at a dance hall called the Cowboy, she met David Hock Sr. They began dating in 1983 and built a life together in San Antonio. They purchased a model home on Buffalo Pass and made it their own, adding a patio cover, fencing, a pool, and a hot tub. For several years they faced infertility and quietly prepared for a future that might look different than what they had hoped.

After many prayers, God answered, and on the first day of spring in 1988, Joyce became what she had long waited to be, a mom. David was her pride and joy. Every birthday she reminded him that he was her “baby boy born on the first day of spring.”

Dennis followed in the summer of 1991, and from the beginning she would laugh that he was the baby at the hospital all the nurses wanted to steal. She named him after her beloved brother who left too soon, keeping his memory close in the most personal way she could. With David and Dennis, her family felt complete.

Joyce was the kind of mother who showed up loudly and proudly. She cheered from the stands and believed her sons hung the moon. She admired David’s steady loyalty and the way he looked out for his younger brother. She loved Dennis’s smile and the way he cared deeply for others. She saw clearly who each of her boys were and celebrated them for it. She protected them instinctively, defended them fiercely, and never once made them doubt their worth.

In 1993, after nearly a decade in Texas,

Joyce returned to Brookings with her family. They first lived in her father’s rental house on Harvey Dunn before moving to the round house near the bypass. Later, in 2000, she made her home on Lincoln Lane, directly across the street from Janet. Living close to her twin was one of the great comforts of her life.

Joyce worked for DM&E Railroad before transitioning to Quality Tool, where she remained until retirement. She was proud of her work. Family, however, was the true center of her world.

Becoming a grandmother deepened that joy even more. Of all the titles she held, “Grandma” may have been her favorite. Her grandchildren, Griffin, Madelin, Connor, Grace, Tobin, and Evelyn, were the light of her life. She followed them and their activities closely, celebrated their milestones, and was their loudest cheerleader. Their photos covered her refrigerator and filled her walls. She did not measure love. She gave it fully.

Joyce loved golf and bowling and was always up for a day on the water. She especially treasured her trips to Canada with her brother John and sister Carol. They shared years of fishing and conversations that only siblings understand.

She remained close to her siblings throughout her life. Mary Lou and Janet stood faithfully beside her during doctor appointments and in her final weeks, offering steady support, strength and love.

Joyce felt everything deeply. She cried when she was proud. She forgave quickly. She did not speak poorly of others. If you were hers, you knew it.

Her faith in Jesus grounded her life. She often called meaningful moments “God things.” Even in her final days, she was not afraid. She believed she knew where she was going.

In her last weeks, she spent treasured time with Janet, talking, watching movies, eating meals, and simply being together as they had since childhood. On her final night, her sons held her hands, told her how beautiful she was, and reminded her of all who loved her. She was surrounded by love, the very thing she gave so freely throughout her life.

She was preceded in death by her father, James “Doc” Bailey; her mother, Roberta “Bertie” Bailey; and her brother, Dennis Bailey.

She is survived by her sons, David (Maren) and Dennis (Patty); her beloved grandchildren, Griffin, Madelin, Connor, Grace, Tobin, and Evelyn; her twin sister Janet; her siblings John, Carol, and Mary Lou (David) Ulmer; David Hock Sr., the father of her sons, who stood by her in her final days; extended family; and many friends.

Joyce loved fiercely and without hesitation. She showed up, stayed close, and made sure the people she loved knew it. Her family carries that love forward.

She never met a stranger. She loved without question. She included without borders. She gave herself to anyone who needed a person. She was not just a mother to her sons. She was anyone’s mom. A bonus mom to her daughters-in-law, to friends, to neighbors, and to the kids next door. There are few people as selfless as she was. She gave love unconditionally.

That love is her legacy.

The family would like to thank the staff at Ava’s House Hospice Care for the compassion, support, and love they showed Joyce and our family during her final days.

Visitation: Sunday, February 22, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Eidsness Funeral Home, 1617 Orchard Drive, Brookings, SD 57006.

Funeral Service: Monday, February 23, at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 405 7th Ave, Brookings, SD 57006.

Interment Service: Tuesday, February 24, at 1:00 pm at the Atlantic Cemetery in Atlantic, IA, 63119 White Pole Rd. Atlantic, IA 50022

Flowers: Floral tributes may be sent directly to Eidsness Funeral Home for the visitation and service.

Memorial: In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Brookings Humane Society in Joyce’s honor.