Joycelyn Walters Brookshire

Joycelyn Walters Brookshire
(9/19/1928 04/07/2025)
Surrounded by family and love, Joycelyn Walters Brookshire, of Gibsonville, NC, passed away at Twins Lakes Community in Burlington, NC on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Born in Deland, Florida on September 19, 1928, Joycelyn was the daughter of Lydia Williams Walters and Robert Brett Walters, both deceased. She is the last to join her family in heaven as she was predeceased by her brothers Robert Brett Walters, Jr., and her infant twin who passed away at birth.
Named Joycelyn, the emphasis of her name was literally and figuratively joy. She was the epitome of joy, love, and laughter. Anytime that spirits needed lifting, she would burst into song with "ac-cen-tu-ate the pos-i-tive; e-li-mi-nate the neg-at-tive" while snapping her fingers and dancing. She loved to start impromptu dance parties in the kitchen with her family. She also always knew the perfect thing to say, including "it is what it is" and "this too shall pass." A consummate optimist, she found the good in hard situations and could reframe difficulties on the spot.
Joycelyn attended Gibsonville School and then graduated from The Womens College (now UNCG) with a degree in fashion design. She was a gifted seamstress as she could eye a garment in the store, go home, and then construct and sew it better than it was on the rack. As a single mother, she created nearly all of her daughters clothing late in the evenings through their high school graduation (sometimes on the very afternoon of a big date). Over the years, she made countless perfectly crafted costumes, including Rainbow Brite, Sprite, a black cat, a cardinal, Sleeping Beauty, the Pied Piper, and two colonial period outfits for Gibsonvilles Bicentennial celebration. Always looking sharp and perfectly accessorized, she loved to shop and advise on the perfect outfit, from head to toe, for any occasion. She was dedicated to making those around her feel spiffy and special.
An avid modern art lover, Joycelyn served as an art and elementary school teacher for over 34 years of dedicated service. Upon retirement, she continued to volunteer at Gibsonville Elementary School and was a member of the PTA and the National Education Association. She was also a lifelong member of Gibsonville United Methodist Church and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She was a voracious reader and loved to visit art museums, so she participated in the Art & Literature Club for decades. A baker of precision, she consistently and definitively produced the worlds very best pound cake. Joycelyn also played the piano throughout her life, following in her mothers footsteps, and she passed on a love of music to all of her girls.
Her beloved family include daughters Linda Joyce Brookshire (husband Jon) of Roaring Gap, NC and Patti Brookshire Teague (husband Walt) of Elon, NC. She adored her granddaughters, Natalie Brook Teague (husband Tom) of Asheville, NC and Emily Brett Teague Palmieri (husband Evan) of Suwanee, GA. The light of her later years was lit by her great grandchildren, Ava Joycelyn, Wesley, and Chelsea.
A private ceremony will be planned at a later date for her immediate family.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gibsonville United Methodist Church, 501 Church Street, Gibsonville, NC (www.gibsonvilleumc.org) or Kopper Top Life Learning and Animal Rescue Center, 6657 Kimesville Road, Liberty, NC (www.koppertop.org). To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Joycelyn, please visit our Tree Store.