Joyce Ann Strunk

Joyce (Herman) Strunk, 84, passed away peacefully on January 28 at her home in Altoona, Florida, surrounded by love.

She was born on July 28, 1941 in the family farmhouse in Sodus, Michigan to Edward and Elsie (Froehlich) Herman. She is survived by her sister, Margaret, and brother Ervin, and her children: Pamela (David) Leland of Oregon, Cheri (Kim) Fowler of Michigan, Tim (Jackie) Strunk of Colorado, John (Debra) Harris of Michigan, Randy Strunk of Michigan, Julie Harris (Shari) of New Jersey, and Judy (Chris) Smith of Florida. She was a proud grandmother to 13 grandchildren: Kyle, Colin, Arleigh, Kaleigh, Kameron, Marissa, Zachary, Colton, Carly, Hailey, Nathaniel, Thaddeus, and Adrien and a great-grandmother to 11 great grandchildren: Francis, Mae, Louie, Dean, Isabella, Hadley, Grayson, McKinley, Amara, Nate and Madelyn.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Norman, her parents, her sisters, Loretta and Eloise, and her brothers, Edward, Richard, as well as Richard's twin, Robert, who died shortly after birth.

In their 43 years of marriage, Norm and Joyce had a lasting, loving partnership, bringing together two families and making them one. Through sickness and in health, they took care of each other. Norm and Joyce loved their place at Sandy Pines in Michigan and many a family-filled, multi-generational summer was spent fishing, boating, zipping around in golf carts, and golfing. After moving to Florida full-time, she enjoyed taking her grandchildren shopping, swimming, baking together, and going out for ice cream. Grandma Joyce loved big family gatherings and made a banana bread that tasted best only when she made it.

Joyce loved Hallmark movies. Loved. Them. If you called her and she was watching one, she'd gladly chat anyway because she'd either already seen it or knew she'd be watching it again later. The formula of every Hallmark movie - "boy meets girl, hijinks happen, boy gets girl" - never grew old to her. She loved love. She was love.

As a mother, she took pride in her children's accomplishments, big and small, always providing a constant stream of love and support. She was not one to force her own opinion and always supported her children fully in finding their own path. Her support was gentle, kind, and constant, and extended beyond her children to their life partners, and a countless number of their friends. She was Mama Joyce to many.

If grandparenting was an Olympic sport, Joyce would have stuck the landing. She loved hosting sleepovers, remembered every birthday, was always on the sidelines for sporting events and other milestones, and laughed with a gusto that was surprising for a person of her diminutive stature. Her hugs were a full contact sport and medicine for the soul. Her grandkids were her pride and joy and she made them feel safe, loved and important. Gram was always there for you.

She was a woman of faith and grateful to have found dear friends at First United Methodist in Tavares and then at St Mark's Lutheran Church in Leesburg. She is now reunited with her beloved, Norm, and at peace in the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior.

She will be missed dearly and deeply and will be forever in our hearts.

Her funeral services will be held at 1 PM on Saturday, February 7, at St. Marks Lutheran Church in Leesburg, Florida. Her online obituary and guestbook can be found at Baldwin Brothers (https://baldwincremation.com/tavares/). In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Marks or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, both of which Joyce loved and supported.