Joyce Lenore Cervenka

Joyce Cervenka was born in 1943, Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, Eleanor and Rudolph Sobokta, were first generation Czechoslavakian Americans. Both sets of Joyce's grandparents spoke Czech and brought their customs to America. Czech culture was a big part of Joyce's childhood.

By the time Joyce was in elementary school, her parents moved from Chicago to Berwyn where Joyce would live until young adulthood. Joyce graduated from Morton High and attended some college courses. She received training in secretarial skills such as typing and shorthand as well as obtaining a license/certificate in cosmetology. Her first adult job was right out of high school at Western Electric. She worked there for years and met Thomas Cervenka. She left Western Electric to pursue her dream of owning and running a beauty salon.

Thomas and Joyce married and then had two children: Dina in 1969 and Dale in 1971. She and Thomas divorced a few years later. Soon afterward, Dale was diagnosed with cancer at three years old. Joyce's career took a backseat to endless doctor appointments, hospital stays, and chemo treatments for her son. But Joyce rose to the tragic challenge, finding work as a bartender where the bar owner was flexible with her schedule to continue to support her family. At that bar she met Raymond Marshall who would become her second husband. Dale passed away at seven years old. A couple of years later, Joyce and Ray wed.

Joyce, Ray, and Dina moved around until settling in Lombard, Illinois. Joyce got her old job back at ATT/Lucent (previously called Western Electric). She worked there a total of thirty years and raved about the company's pay, benefits, and kind people. Joyce loved her job and would have worked there even longer, but her health began to decline.

Ten years ago, Ray Marshall passed away. Joyce moved to Texas to be close to her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. For years her health problems plateaued and she lived independently in Plano. Five years ago, she began to deteriorate. Joyce moved in with her daughter and son-in-law three and half years ago. Each year became more difficult. Joyce always chose to fight and remained positive throughout every treatment, doctor visit, and discouraging news.

Joyce was an inspiration. One of her most admirable qualities was her generosity. She consistently donated to charity. St. Jude's, SPCA, health organizations and other animal rescue organizations were her favorites. When her health was better, she volunteered for Meals on Wheels and various animal shelters. Her kindness to people and animals will always be remembered.

Joyce was extremely intelligent. She had the mind of someone half her age. Her memory remained lucid and her wit was seamless. Everyday Joyce practiced Spanish on various learning sites. She frequently annihilated her family in Scrabble. For eighty-two years old, Joyce knew how to navigate a computer, cell phone, and various streaming services. Her true genius lied within her artistic ability. Joyce was an excellent chef, baker, quilter, sewer, and painter. She was a master of stained glass, creating several stained glass lamps, windows, wall hangings, and knick-knacks. One of her greatest creations was a replica of a Tiffany lamp that she made for her daughter's college graduation.

Joyce's family and friends would all say that she was easy to talk to. She had a true gift of listening. She would offer advice when asked, always sensible, and encourage people to achieve. She would recount her own similar situations and mention her successes and failures. Her humility and open-mindedness helped so many people who needed a shoulder to lean on.

The last year of Joyce's life she talked a great deal about the good times that she had. One of her favorite stories to tell was the fantastic European trip that she took with her girlfriends as a teenager. She would talk about her dogs and cats and how much she missed them and the joy that they brought her. She would reminisce about the '50s-'60s and how fun those years were for her.

Joyce had a deep Christian faith. She didn't belong to a church, but would participate in her daughter's Bible study. She voraciously read Biblical-themed books and she constantly watched religious television specials. Her favorite TV preachers were Jack Van Impe and David Jeremiah. Joyce also became a big fan of The Chosen series. Her faith kept her positive and got her through her darkest days.

Joyce will be deeply missed and forever loved! She is in Heaven, without pain or suffering, with her family and will be waiting for everyone else.

Family will be receiving guests on Monday, December 22, 2025 from 10:00 AM until the time of service at 11:00 AM at Dieterle Memorial Home, 1120 S. Broadway Ave. Montgomery, IL 60538. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, Forest Park, IL.