Joyce McPherson

Joyce Marie Thatcher McPherson
With hearts full of both sorrow and gratitude, we announce the passing of Joyce Marie Thatcher McPherson, age 79, who peacefully died on July 29, 2025, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease. Though her absence leaves a deep ache, her life was a radiant example of faith, love, and service that continues to uplift those she leaves behind.
Joyce was born on July 21, 1946, and raised in San Marino, California, where she developed a deep love for family, faith, and learning. She was a proud graduate of Brigham Young University, where she deepened her lifelong commitment to education and spiritual growth.
She is survived by her husband, David McPherson who she married in 1966 and was also from San Marino. Joyce is also survived by her five children: Paul, Heather, Mark, Lindsay, and Matthew. She has a legacy in her twenty-five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, each of whom felt her unconditional love and gentle influence.
A woman of deep conviction and quiet strength, Joyce devoted much of her life to service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served as a Primary President, counselor in the Relief Society presidency, Sunday School teacher, and on various religious committees. Her service and leadership were guided by compassion, her teaching marked by grace and clarity, she was a shining example of enduring faith.
Joyce was known for her generosity, warm smile, and her ability to make all feel welcome. She had a gift of meeting people where they were at and was a safe place, where others could find a place of refuge. She noticed others and anticipated their needs. She quietly touched countless lives, whether it was through small acts of kindness or years of dedicated service. Her legacy will live on in the love she gave, the faith she shared, and the family she nurtured.
She will be dearly missed.
A gathering of family and friends will occur on Friday, August 1st, from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by a celebration of her life at 10:30 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3050 Mojave Lane, Provo, UT 84604. The event will also be livestreamed at (http://www.RockCanyonWard.com) - scroll to Special Events" and select the "Joyce McPherson: Celebration of Life" option.