Joyce Doele

05/03/1942 - 03/14/2026

Joyce Ann Zeits Gleason Doele, 83, passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026 at her home in Saline, Michigan, surrounded by loved ones. She was born on May 3, 1942 in Traverse City, Michigan, to Frank and Genevieve (Laura) Zeits, the first of five children. Joyce grew up amid the farms and cherry orchards of the Leelanau Peninsula, and her childhood was filled with the music and laughter of her close-knit and talented extended family, in spite of a move downstate to Taylor. After high school, Joyce earned her degree at Mercy School of Nursing of Detroit and launched a lifelong career of caregiving and administration as a registered nurse. Along the way, she gave birth to and raised four children, earned her bachelor's degree and multiple advanced certifications, and pioneered a revolution in rehabilitation services in Southeast Michigan. Joyce's "Rainbow Tree Center" was Michigan's first facility to offer a "whole-person" approach to recovery from traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, and may well have been considered her fifth child. Joyce was fortunate to meet Larry Doele in the early-mid 80s, and the next chapter of her life began with this new and lasting love. They were married in November 1985, and recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. Many laughs, adventures, grandkids, and family milestones were celebrated across the years.
Joyce had an effervescent laugh that lit up every room she entered, and her love for Barry Manilow and joy for the Christmas holidays were unmatched. Of course, we can't forget to mention her incomparable legacy as a Zeits Woman-she's paved the way for generations to come, with her tough, capable manner and unbending commitment to doing things the "right" way! Joyce is lovingly remembered by her husband of 40 years, Larry Doele; children Colleen (Steven) Schulte, Sean (Lori) Gleason, Tim (Bindu) Gleason, and Kate Gleason; six grandchildren; siblings Linda Gilevich, Faye Lozier, and Frank Zeits, Jr.; and was predeceased by brother Alan Zeits.

Friends and relatives are invited to a memorial gathering at Nie Family Funeral Home, 2400 Carpenter Rd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, on Sunday, April 12, from 3-5pm. A funeral mass will also be held on Tuesday, April 14, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, at 11am, with family greeting beginning at 10:30am, and all are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to either the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice via the web links below.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
https://www.cff.org/donate

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html