Joyce Wright Rousseau

Peggy Joyce Wright Rousseau passed away peacefully on April 24, 2024 at the grand age of 99 years old in the Compassionate Care Center at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital surrounded by her devoted family.
Born Peggy Joyce Wright on February 1, 1925, in St. Petersburg, Florida. She grew up swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and strolling the beaches with her older sister Jule. She graduated from Largo High School in 1942 where she had met the love of her life, Edwin Rousseau II. WWII took their lives on separate paths while serving our country and Joyce entered the nursing program at Mound Park Hospital in St. Petersburg at the age of 17 where she soon became a graduate nurse. She often spoke of the times they had to black out the windows while they performed surgeries to avoid the risk of attracting enemy attention to the hospital. Highly skilled, she continued to care for others until retiring from nursing in July of 1971 in Inverness, FL. During that time, she gave birth to the three greatest joys of her life; Dr. Robert Carlton Young in St. Petersburg (1947), Mark Joseph Young in Miami (1951), and Kimberly Joyce Young in Orlando (1954). Love knows no boundaries and as the greatest of love stories go, Ed found Joyce again and they were married on July 31, 1971. They split their time between their homes in the mountains of North Carolina and the beaches of Florida. They traveled to 48 states and Mexico in their RV, loved to square dance, fish together and golf, and could always be found cheering on their beloved Florida Gators. Very active and social, they loved to visit friends and family, and they happily spent 38 years together until Ed preceded her in death in 2009 in Tallahassee, FL. She has waited 15 years to walk the beaches and have a glass of red wine again with her darling husband Ed and we are forever grateful for her patience.
Joyce loved to play bridge, listen to Frank Sinatra, knit, garden, and has always been an avid dog lover. She fiercely loved her family that will comfort each other during these difficult times; her three children, Dr. Robert C. Young (Suzanne), Mark Young (Jenny), Kim Thompson (Guy) and her four stepchildren Edwin Rousseau III, Janice Rousseau, Catherine Rousseau and Robert Rousseau. Her legacy lives on through her cherished 10 grandchildren and increasing great-grandchildren.
Joyce loved flowers and arrangements are being made through Elinor Doyle Florist. Her compassionate heart always gave to the Humane Society and donations can be made in her remembrance.
A graveside service will be held at Roselawn Cemetery on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.