Armond T. Joyce

1935 - 2019

Armond T. Joyce, 83, of Slidell, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 18, 2019. He was delivered by his Grandmother on November 6, 1935, at his family's farm in Hand County, South Dakota. He attended and lived at, from age 14, Assumption Abbey High School, a boarding school near Richardson, North Dakota. He graduated with top academic honors and lettered in basketball, baseball, football, receiving multiple college scholarship offers; though, his parents (his Father a then mechanic and former cattle rancher and farmer during the drought-depression of the 1930's) could not afford to pay his room or board, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army to pursue his dreams with the help of the G.I. Bill. After serving in the Korean War with the 74th Engineer Company, building roads and bridges to lead the Army from the 38th Parallel through Seoul to Inchon on the coast, he earned his G.I. Bill and was accepted into the University of Montana and earned a B.S. in Forest Management, while also serving as a Smokejumper for the U.S. Forest Service all four of those years and enjoying free falling with his 'Free Fall Club', playing basketball for the University of Montana Grizzlies, hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities. He accepted a position with the Timber and Land Division of the Northern Pacific Railway, where he quickly became head appraiser over all timber on Railway land in Washington, Montana, and Idaho, working out of the Seattle headquarters and living in a house boat on Lake Union. This was his first exposure to such an abundance of seafood restaurants, fisherman's wharfs, and live music, all of which he relished in. As an exhibitor at Seattle's 1962 World's Fair, he became fascinated by the neighboring U.S. Peace Corps exhibit; months later, he had been accepted into the Peace Corps and was on his way to the United Nations training facility in Patzcuaro, Mexico for Spanish immersion training. He spent the next two years living with and teaching two indigenous tribes how to sustainably manage their crops and forests (Andean and Amazon); he considered his time with the Jivaro tribe in the Amazon to be most enlightening. He would travel deep into the Amazon by canoe and foot to areas only occupied by Jivaro indigenous. After his two years of Peace Corps service, he spent four months traveling through Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, before returning to the States. Armond received the Ford Foundation for International Development award with which he earned his M.S. at Penn State. Penn State was a member of the Organization of Tropical Studies, a consortium of universities with educational facilities in Costa Rica for tropical studies, which of course he took full advantage of, completing a semester there then returning there to conduct his thesis research. Based on his research, he received the National Science Research Fellowship award with which he earned his Ph.D. at Syracuse University. He returned to Costa Rica, this time to conduct his dissertation research. During this time, he met and fell in love with a young lady (Amalia) with whom he would soon spend the rest of his life with. Immediately after receiving his Ph.D., he accepted a four month project in Guyana, where his field crew were Amerindians who he lived and camped with throughout the forests. On his way home from Guyana, he stopped in Costa Rica and proposed to Amalia. He accepted a position with the U.S. Inter American Geodetic Survey in the Panama Canal Zone, where Amalia would also come live after they married. He would travel to Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela to monitor U.S. funded projects. While living in the Panama Canal Zone, his first child, Susan, was born. Armond then accepted a position with NASA, for which he, Amalia, and Susan moved to Mississippi briefly then Louisiana. After settling in Louisiana, Joshua was born. Armond pioneered several programs over his many years with NASA, as well as teaching as an adjunct professor, giving seminars, and guest speaking. He retired after over 35 years of government service, aside from his private sector years. After retirement, he consulted at his leisure for a few years and he and Amalia spent time at their Slidell residence, Mississippi lake house, and Costa Rica residence, while he spent the rest of his years continuing to be a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, family member, and friend to all who were blessed to know him. Armond was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Carrie; his brother Patrick; and his sister Donna. He is survived by his loving wife Amalia; his daughter Susan; his son Joshua and daughter-in-law Melissa; his brother Daniel and sister-in-law Jolene; his grandchildren Ryan, Sara, and Christian; and his great grandchildren Brynn and Jeremiah. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Services at HONAKER FUNERAL HOME, 1751 GAUSE Blvd. WEST (IN FOREST LAWN CEMETERY), Slidell, LA on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 12:00 P.M. Military Honors will be rendered immediately following the service. Visitation on Saturday after 10:30 A.M. until funeral time. Please visit www.honakerforestlawn.com to sign guestbook. Arrangements by Honaker Funeral Home, Inc., Slidell, LA.