Joyce Roy Casada

Joyce Roy Casada was born to Jo Frances Roy (Long) and Guy Franklin Roy on the family farm near Stockton, Missouri July 12, 1932. Joyce grew up as the oldest daughter in a family of 5 girls and 2 boys. She took on early responsibilities in helping her Mom by watching and helping with the younger children while her parents tended to the daily farming needs. She excelled in school and decided to become a school teacher and began her teaching career immediately after high school teaching in a "one-room school house" while pursuing her collegiate degree during the summers at Southwest Missouri State (SMS) in Springfield. Joyce married Richard Wendell Casada on May 12, 1956 and they moved to Memphis, Tennessee. A unique aspect of their marriage was that Joyce was the sister of Jack Roy who was married to Richard's sister, Nancy. Joyce taught school in the Memphis Public Schools until the school policy required her to stop when expecting her first child. She was was the proud mother of a son Max and daughter Lynn. She was deeply involved in their lives serving as an Den Mother for Cub Scouts, as well as many other roles to support their activities. She was active with the Winchester Road Church of Christ and later the Hunter's Run Church of Christ, teaching Bible Classes, and serving in many other ways. Joyce was a consummate teacher who went back to teaching at the Memphis Hebrew Academy when Lynn started school and taught there for an additional 25 years. She impacted hundreds of lives and eventually began seeing the children of some of her former students come to her classroom. She was a really good teacher and The Memphis Hebrew Academy (now known as the Margolin Hebrew Academy) honored her as the "Spotlight Feature" personality in their 2022 Chanukah edition of their Alumni and Friends publication. She enjoyed spending time with her three grandchildren; Grandsons Ara and Brandon, and Grand-daughter Isshah. Joyce retired from teaching at the Memphis Hebrew Academy in 1992 after 34 years of teaching and began devoting more time to working with the church, and enjoying her grandchildren, singing with the Memphis City Sound chorus of Sweet Adelines International, being with friends and family, and traveling. After Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease Joyce quickly went into doctor mode to support Richard to maintain a very active life-style through exercise and her ongoing encouragement and assistance. Richard suffered a debilitating stroke in May of 2001 while undergoing open heart surgery to bypass a blocked artery. The stroke required him to seek continuous care at the Primacy Health Care facility in East Memphis. He and Joyce developed an extended family with the other residents and the staff at Primacy, enriching not only their lives but also inspiring and enriching the lives of others. Joyce was there every day attending to not only Richard's needs but also advocating for other residents who didn't have family actively available to assist in that role. Richard peacefully and quietly passed away on June 5, 2007 at Saint Francis East Hospital. After Richard's passing, Joyce continued to be very active in church

activities, in Sweet Adelines, with her cat, and with her family. She also began evaluating Kirby Pines as a potential residence and ultimately signed on but remained in her house until July of 2020 when she finally moved into her independent living apartment with her cat, Mr. Binks. They came to realize how much there was to do at Kirby Pines and Joyce became involved in card games with several groups, the choir, the church congregation at Kirby Pines, and just enjoying the Kirby Pines family. She became a vocal advocate for "turning on the gas log fireplace" and when she began having significant struggles walking long distances, she began zooming around on her bright yellow electric powered chair. Joyce passed from this world peacefully on Thursday evening January 29, 2026.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Richard, her oldest brother, Jack; and a sister Jo Anna Biglieni.

She is survived by her son Max of Katy, TX; her daughter Lynn Buyny and her husband David of Memphis; and three grandchildren Ara (Katie) Casada of College Station, TX; Brandon Casada of Chattanooga, TN; and Isshah (Austin) Galatian of Katy, TX and 6 grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother Guy Roy Jr. and wife Charlene of Warsaw, MO; three sisters Jacquelyn York of North Little Rock, AR; Jean Gelsinger of Raymore, MO; and Betty Crumpton of Kansas City, MO and a sister-in-law Nancy Roy of Dadeville, MO.

Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, February 9 at the Forest Hill East Cemetery on Whitten Rd. in East Memphis. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10 at Forest Hill East. Ara Casada will be directing the services.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joyce's memory may be made to:

Psalms Inc. Foundation – Kirby Pines Entertainers Chorus – 3535 Kirby Pkwy Memphis, TN

38115

The Friends of the Bartlett Animal Shelter

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