Joyce Lee Sorrell

IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOYCE LEE SORRELL. BELOVED MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND FRIEND JOYCE LEE SORRELL, AGE 74 OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON November 6, 2024, LEAVING BEHIND A VOID IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO LOVED HER DEARLY. SHE WAS A DEVOTED MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, GREAT GRANDMOTHER AND CHERISHED FRIEND, WHOSE LOVE AND STRENGTH WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED. JOYCE WAS BORN IN PLAQUEMINE, LOUISIANA, ON AUGUST 6, 1950, TO LAWLESS AND MYRTLE OUBRE. FROM A YOUNG AGE, SHE WAS KNOWN FOR HER FEISTY SPIRIT AND HEADSTRONG NATURE. AS A TOMBOY AT HEART, JOYCE FOUND JOY IN SPENDING TIME WITH HER COUSIN NELSON, WHO PRECEDED HER IN DEATH, CREATING MEMORIES THAT WOULD LAST A LIFETIME. AT THE AGE OF 12, JOYCE MET THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, HARRY SORRELL JR., AND THEIR BOND GREW STRONGER EACH DAY. THEY WERE MARRIED ON DECEMBER 10, 1966, WHEN JOYCE WAS JUST 16 YEARS OLD. TOGETHER, THEY BUILT A LIFE FILLED WITH LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND AN UNBREAKABLE BOND. JOYCE DEDICATED HER LIFE TO HER FAMILY, ALWAYS PUTTING THEIR NEEDS ABOVE HER OWN. SHE WORKED FOR THE NEW ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AS A PARAPROFESSIONAL, WHERE SHE CARED FOR AND NURTURED COUNTLESS CHILDREN WHO GREW TO ADORE HER. HER LOVE FOR THEM WAS UNDENIABLE, AND SHE ENSURED THAT EVERY CHILD WHO CROSSED HER PATH FELT SAFE, HEALTHY, AND LOVED. IN 1977, SHE RECEIVED THE KEY TO THE CITY FOR ACHIEVING OVER 1000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. SHE WAS A CAREGIVER AT HEART. IN 1979. JOYCE BRIEFLY PURSUED A CAREER AS A TRANSIT DRIVER FOR THE REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA) OF NEW ORLEANS, BUT HER DEVOTION TO HER CHILDREN CALLED HER BACK HOME. SHE WAS A LOVING MOTHER TO HARRY III, BARRY, QUINCY, AND MOUSSIE, WHOM SHE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS HER "EYEBALLS AND HEART STRINGS" - A TESTAMENT TO THE BOUNDLESS LOVE AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT SHE PROVIDED FOR HER CHILDREN. JOYCE TOOK GREAT JOY IN CARING FOR HER PARENTS, MOTHER-IN-LAW, AUNTS, AND GRANDCHILDREN. HER HOME WAS ALWAYS FILLED WITH LAUGHTER, LOVE, AND THE DELICIOUS AROMA OF HER COOKING. DINNER WAS A SPECIAL OCCASION WHERE THE FAMILY GATHERED AT THE TABLE, SHARING STORIES AND JOKES, WITH HER HUSBAND HARRY WHO OFTEN REMINED EVERYONE, "IF YOU GRIN, YOU IN." JOYCE'S LEGACY OF LOVE AND SELFLESSNESS WILL LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO WERE BLESSED TO KNOW HER. SHE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER BELOVED HUSBAND, HARRY SORRELL. JR.; HER PARENTS, LAWLESS AND MYRTLE OUBRE; HER BELOVED MOTHER AND FATHER-IN-LAW HARRY JOSEPH SORRELL SR, CLARA T HARRIS AND HER CHERISHED GRANDSON, BARRY JOSEPH SORRELL JR. (TYLER). SHE LEAVES BEHIND TO CHERISH HER MEMORY HER THREE SONS, HARRY III, (PAM) BARRY, AND QUINCY SORRELL; ONE DAUGHTER, JOYCE SORRELL-COOK (LYMETRIUS) TWO VERY SPECIAL LADIES IN HER LIFE, ERIKA MALONE AND SABRINA HOWARD, SIX BROTHERS, L.C., CARL (JAZELLE) LARRY, RICKEY, MICHAEL, AND KEVIN (DOREEN); GRANDDAUGHTERS TRICHELL, HARRYNISHA AND PRINCESS; GRANDSONS HARRY IV AND BARRYN. JOYCE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND A HOST OF OTHER GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, AND FRIENDS WHO WILL FOREVER TREASURE HER MEMORY. JOYCE WAS A PILLAR OF LOVE AND STRENGTH, WHOSE PRESENCE WILL BE SORELY MISSED. HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE COMFORTED BY THE LASTING IMPACT SHE MADE ON THEIR LIVES AND THE LOVE SHE GAVE SO FREELY. AS SHE REUNITES WITH HER BELOVED HUSBAND AND LOVED ONES, HER LEGACY OF KINDNESS, COMPASSION, AND UNWAVERING DEVOTION WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IN THE HEARTS OF ALL WHO KNEW HER. REST IN PEACE, MOMMY. YOU WERE DEEPLY LOVED AND WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.