Joyce Woolley Simons

Joyce Woolley Simons passed away peacefully surrounded by her husband and seven children on May 5, 2024, in Nephi, Utah at the age of 66 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Joyce was born on May 10, 1957, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Lyman M. and Mary Ella Gardner Woolley. She grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Olympus High School. She married Mark Simons on August 17, 1979, in the Salt Lake Temple, for time and all eternity. Together they raised 7 children and have been blessed with 19 grandchildren.

She loved her family fiercely and lived a life of sacrifice and service—particularly to her husband and children. She was a devoted wife and mother. Her husband, Mark, shared and supported her desire to dedicate all her time and energy to rearing their children and did everything possible to support her in this endeavor. This was a great gift to her. Her family knew she was always there, and they relied on her for the incredible knowledge and wisdom she possessed. She made it a priority to be at every event and supported her family whole-heartedly.

She had complete faith in Jesus Christ which she gained through study of the scriptures, prayer, and relying on Him through turbulent times. She shared that conviction with her family. Joyce never compromised her principles for ease or convenience or popularity. She exemplified “God, Family, Country”, and we are better because of her. She instilled these principles in her children, establishing the family motto in the words of Thomas Jefferson: “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

Joyce had a great love and admiration of womanhood and the sacred calling of mothers. She served as a childbirth educator, doula, and direct-entry midwife for over 30 years. She believed her role as a midwife was to empower women to bring their babies into the world. She delivered well over 100 babies, including most of her own grandchildren, and attended hundreds of births over the course of her career. She touched countless lives and made forever friends in the families she supported and the midwives she served with, as she poured her heart and soul in to making the world a better place. She was never happier than when holding a newborn.

As an avid rockhound, Joyce could visit the most desolate landscapes and find something beautiful. She and her husband took many road trips, stopping along the way in search of rocks and gems from various locations. Joyce appreciated the beauty in simple things. She loved gardening and canning, windchimes, and watching her hummingbirds eat at the dozens of feeders she painstakingly kept stocked.

Joyce was a listening ear and rock for many – family and friends. She knew how to find her kindred spirits and made many lifelong friends who will always cherish her memory as a safe space and compassionate ear. She is loved and missed more than words can say, and her absence will be felt forever.

Joyce is survived by her husband, four daughters – Sabrina (David) Larkin, Alison (Thad) Putnam, Sarah (Clinton) Lund, Mary (Brendan) Watkins; and three sons – Aaron (Chanelle) Simons, Quinn (Brylee) Simons, and Russell Simons, 19 grandchildren, as well as her father, three sisters – Maryann, Joan, and Suzanne; one brother – Allan; nieces, nephews, and cousins and many others. Joyce was greeted in Heaven by her mother, Mary Ella, her brother, Darrell Woolley, and many other dear friends and loved ones.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 11th at 11:00 am at the Nephi North Stake Center at 1125 North 400 East in Nephi, Utah with a viewing from 9:30am-10:30am.