Joyce P. Thurmer

Joyce P. Thurmer, 92, passed peacefully in her sleep on Nov 16, 2022. She was born in Bronx, New York on March 4, 1930. She is preceded in death by her parents, E. Norman Peterson Sr. and Helen, her brother E. Norman Peterson Jr., and her loving husband, Rigomar A. Thurmer.
Joyce started her love of learning at The New Canaan Country School. After that, she graduated high school from The Knox School in Cooperstown, NY in 1948. She then attended Smith College, in Northampton, MA where she graduated in 1952. She made many lifelong friends at Smith and was proud to call herself a "Smithie". She met her husband Rigomar on a ski trip to Vermont after college. They were married in 1957, lived in Connecticut, and had five children. In 1966, the family moved to Boulder, CO. They built a unique house, designed by Rigomar, that has been the family home for 56 years. Joyce and Rigomar loved living in the Rocky Mountains; their large family enjoyed the condo/ski life in Vail and spent many weekends skiing and hiking together. In 1984, Joyce went back to school and graduated from The University of Denver with a Master of Arts degree, specializing in historical book preservation.
Joyce had many interests and hobbies. An avid Bridge player, she played every week and continued to play with her friends right until her passing. She also did the New York Times crossword puzzle every day and we all admired her because she did it in pen. Joyce was involved with many local charitable organizations and sat on several boards. She devoted innumerable hours to The Colorado Music Festival, The Women of the West Museum, The Autry Museum, and Smith College. In 2017, Joyce moved from her home to The Academy. You could find her engaging in bridge games, bingo, French class, current affairs, exercise class, and pretty much every other social gathering. She is survived by her five children, Mathias Thurmer (Veronika), Katharine Stoffer (Brad), Daniel Thurmer, Christina Pettigrew (Jim), and Elizabeth Boedecker.
She is blessed with 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial will be held at The Academy University Hill, located at 970 Aurora Ave, Boulder, CO 80302 on December 14 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Colorado Music Festival.