Joyce Inez Barnes Watzke

Joyce Inez Barnes Watzke passed away on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

Born Joyce Inez Barnes on November 20, 1930, to John Hiram Barnes, Sr. and Genevieve Terry Barnes, Joyce lived most of her life in New Orleans. After attending Louisiana State University, she returned to New Orleans and worked at Cooper Data Systems for decades, leaving to oversee and manage Systems for Learning, until she retired and moved to Ocean Springs at the age of 64, where she managed the patient charts at Mississippi Eye Associates for her son-in-law, James D. Sutton, M.D. for 24 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin George Watzke and one brother, John Hiram Barnes, Jr.

Joyce is survived by her daughter, Jane Sutton and son-in-law, James D. Sutton, M.D., one grandson, John Frederick Sutton and his wife, Taylor, and one great grandson, Grant Thomas Sutton.

Joyce was fiercely independent and lived on her own until she moved into Lighthouse Assisted living this past year. We are so thankful to those at Lighthouse that made her last year enjoyable.

In her younger days, Joyce enjoyed travelling across the country and internationally with senior travel groups, friends and family. She also belonged to several square dance clubs and loved her weekly pottery class. She was an avid quilter and stitched many heirloom quilts. She was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Ocean Springs. For years, she enjoyed hosting the Koinonia United Methodist Women’s Circle in her home.

A memorial service will be held at 7:00pm on Friday, November 7, 2025 at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs, MS. Friends may visit from 5:30pm until service time. 

Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Homes is honored to serve the family of Joyce Watzke.