Joyce A. Raver
July 12, 1945 – December 26, 2015
Resident of Kirkland, Washington
Native of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Joyce, 70, passed away peacefully from complications of Multiple Sclerosis on the morning of Saturday, December 26, 2015.
Joyce spent most of her life in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. She was a graduate of Governor Livingston Regional High School, and throughout her life she stayed connected with her many high school friends. She was instrumental in planning her high school class reunions, and until the end of her life she maintained a newsletter for her classmates.
When Joyce was 19, she married Donald Raver and they were married for 44 years until his death in 2009. They raised two daughters and enjoyed their two grandchildren. Joyce worked for over 30 years at what would finally become Alcatel-Lucent (previously Bell Laboratories/AT&T). Her most recent position was as an Accountant for Alcatel-Lucent’s fixed asset department.
In 2011, Joyce moved to Merrill Gardens in Kirkland, WA where she enjoyed an active and happy life. She loved to take field trips with her new friends to local attractions such as plays, museums, gardens, restaurants, boat tours, etc. She was very involved with her new church and a book club she started. She also loved playing cards with her friends.
Joyce was preceded in death by her husband Donald Raver of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; her parents, Harold Griffin and Angela (Miano) Griffin; and her sister Janet Griffin. Joyce is survived by her sister Joan Griffin of North Carolina; her daughter and son-in-law Vernita and Drew Lytle of Washington; her daughter and son-in-law Nicole and Terrence Adam of New Jersey; grandchildren Matthew Lytle and Charlotte Adam; and nephew Carlos Griffin.
A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, January 6, 2016 at 11am at Holy Family Catholic Church, 7045 120th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 1pm at St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church, 105 Summer Rd, Three Bridges, New Jersey. A repass will be held directly following both masses.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate
Assisting with arrangements are http://bartonfuneral.com and http://www.branchburgfuneralhome.com
35 Responses to “Joyce A. Raver”
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So sad. Your mother was so fabulous in keeping us all connected. You must be very proud of her. She will be missed greatly.
Carol Jensen
I’m so sorry to hear of Joyce’s passing! She has been the driving force in keeping the class of ’67 in touch with each other, and that has been a great blessing for us all. She will be greatly missed.
I’m so sorry to hear of Joyce’s passing! She has been the driving force in keeping the class of ’63 in touch with each other, and that has been a great blessing for us all. She will be greatly missed.
I am so sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. I’ve known her all my life….our families knew each other well. She was a wonderful, strong woman and she will be missed. Know my prayers are with you and your family.
Anita Russo McGinley
Thank you to Joyce for helping us all reconnect through reunions and ongoing informational news letters! She was the hardest worker in keeping our class connected and will be missed! RIP Joyce.
So sorry! Tried calling a couple of times after I talked to you. When you didn’t return my calls I was afraid of this. Going to miss talking to her, whether on the phone or emails!
Your mother will be sadly missed. She was the glue that kept the Class of ’63 together. I can’t imagine life without her communications. How will we go on without her. She was such a wonderful “people person”. A very special gift to the Class of ’63.
Sandy Harris Curran
I knew your mom all through high school. I am sending my condolences to her family. She will be interesting prayers.
I am so sad to hear of your mother’s passing. We knew each other all of our lives. Know that you and your families are in my prayers.
Anita Russo McGinley
My sincerest condolences to Joyce’s family. She certainly was an important part of our GLRHS Class of 1963. She will be missed!
To Joyce’s entire family, what a beautiful person she was. She will be dearly missed by the GLRHS 63 class.
I’m very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing we known each other for many years. Know that you and your families are in my prayers.
Geraldine DeLuca Ferraro
Rest In The Peace of Christ Our Lord and thank you for keeping the class of ’63 together.
All have said it so eloquently. Yes,this is so sad to hear. Please know our thoughts are with your family during this time.
I am so sorry to learn about Joyce’s passing. She had boundless enthusiasm and bore the problems created by her illness in such a positive way. I know she is now at peace, but she will be missed especially by her high school classmates who have relied on her to be our communications hub. My deepest sympathy to you.
Dear Vernita and Nicole, Your Mom has been in my thoughts lately and so I emailed her. Not hearing back right away made me wonder. She and I go back a ways to church, to Avon,to Senior Citizens, and she was such a lively, charming and strong lady. I admired how she took charge of things, and was an inspiration to many. My own sister passed away at age 71 from Multiple Sclorosis and her death was sudden. Joyce was a trooper like my Helen and they are both in a place where they do not have to struggle any more.
Please accept my most sincere condolence for the loss of your beautiful mother!
Hugs and blessings, Liz
We were truly saddened by the news of your Mom’s passing. Our sincerest condolences to your family. We will miss her greatly. She was instrumental in keeping the class updated when I was stationed in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and was a strong ally for my wife Pat while I was there. We will both miss her friendship and her emails. Our prayers are with you and your families. She will be missed!
Sincerest regards,
Doug and Pat Lytle
Dear Vernita and Nicole, I am truly saddened on the passing of Joyce. She was a great person with tremendous energy and the binder that kept the GLRHS Class Of 1963 informed and together. I am sure she will be missed by all. God Bless her and your family.
My deepest sympathy and condolences.
Al Dieterle
I’m sorry you lost your dear mother. I will miss her consistent emails to keep our high school class connected. I’ve always enjoyed Joyce. She sat right next to me in homeroom and was and remained everyone’s friend. My prayers are with you and your family.
My sweet fiend Joyce. We knew each other for too short a time. We shared wonderful memories of a time that assed us both. But we relived them in our laughter. I’ll be sure to look for you in our future. I’ll just follow the laughing smile.
Dear Vernita And Nicole,
We are so shocked and sad to hear of your Mom’s passing.
We will always treasure her friendship and her great sense of humor. Please accept our deepest sympathy to you and your families. Rest in peace my friend……..
Love, Ann and Len
Dear Vernita and Nicole, your mom’s letters always brought sunshine. Her smile was infectious and I still hear her giggle. She worked tirelessly for our class of ’63, and will always be remembered lovingly. My thoughts and prayers go out to you girls and your families, for comfort, strength and and His peace.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I personally know the loss of both a mother and grandmother and the pain can seem overwhelming. However I found comfort in the scriptures. At acts 24 : 15 the Bible speaks for a resurrection. We will see our loved ones again! I hope this brings you some comfort in this time of sadness
So sorry to hear of Joyce’s passing. She worked tirelessly to keep our class connected and I always looked forward to her e-mails.RIP Joyce
Dear Vernita and Nicole, How shocking to learn of Joyce’s death. She will be sorely missed as a warm and vibrant friend, a loving Wife, Mother and Grandmother. I will notify My brother and sister, as well as Karen Anderson (who does not use email for as another friend from the start of school in Berkeley Heights). My thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. It especially felt at this normally joyous time of the year. Godspeed my old friend.
Joyce was the best! She kept the whole class of 1963 at GLRHS organized and informed. We will be lost without her!
When we visited Berkeley Heights a number of years ago, Joyce thought we should check out our family home at 674 Plainfield Avenue. The present owner was fixing the old place and he’d found a few souvenirs, paperweights my dad had used on his desk. I have one of them with me right now as I write. Thanks to Joyce I had some vivid memories of putting in our patio with my father, walking in the woods with my mom and being a rascal with my brother, Tom Romond and others. God bless Joyce, she was one of a kind.
Joyce was a class act. I was privileged to care for her during her time at the Shumway Mansion AFH, She shared her love for her family and friends with me. Her daughters were to her greatest accomplishment. She loved them so deeply. She was a leader in life. She started a book club at her previous home, and that brought so much joy to the people who lived there. She will be greatly missed.
Dear Vernita and Nicole,
I am so sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. She was such a strong, positive person filled with boundless energy and humor. My thoughts go to you and your family.
Dear Vernita and Nicole, My sincere condolences to you and your family. Joyce was a lovely person who always took the time to focus on what is really important in this life: love of family and friends and a genuine caring interest in other people. As many have already said, she was the glue that kept the class of ’63 together with her e-mails and newsletter updates. We will all miss her greatly. The only comfort we can take in our sadness is that she now rests happily in God’s eternal peace. I will keep your family in my prayers.
Dear Vernita, Nicole and the family of Joyce Griffin Raver,
Ever since Joyce’s devoted effort to bring the Class of ’63 together, I have been so impressed by her concern and caring for each one of us.
She worked so hard, while managing a difficult illness. I will miss her very much!
When my Dad was still living, we went to see Joyce on Mountain Ave. as her house was the same Better Homes and Gardens’ design that he built on Sycamore Ave., starting in 1947. He and Don had a great time walking through the house, sharing comments about the house and construction. Joyce and I had so much fun reminiscing about Columbia School. My memory of that evening and Joyce’s enthusiasm is a special one.
My deepest condolences to you all. We have lost a wonderful lady.
Pam Ward
Joyce was a inspiration of spirit and friendship to all who knew her. Her organizational skills in reuniting hundreds was emblematic of her kindness and outreach. I value the 65 years I knew Joyce.
we are very sorry to hear about Joyce , our deepest sympathy ,may it be your consolation to find in God above strength … n his understanding , and comfort in his love .
Dear Vernita & Nichole,
Please accept my deepest condolences on your Moms passing, we will miss her and we were fortunate to have had her in our lives.
We will always remember Joyce for her ability to network so well with everyone.
We had a fun time, when she won a ticket for a limo and we all went to the city for a great evening.
Your Mom was a pleasure to be with and I am so sorry that she has passed, but I am sure our Lord has big plans for her.
Our prayers are with you.
Love Linda & Sam Vacchiano
Dear Vernita and Nicole: I, like your mother, am a native of Berkeley Heights so we enjoyed many school years together. Her commitment to keep the Class of ’63 connected is remarkable, and please know how much we value her efforts on our behalf. Thank you, Joyce! When visiting back east some years ago, we indulged in a very leisurely breakfast at the Meyersville Diner — Taylor Ham and Eggs Over Easy, now an iconic New Jersey memory thanks to your mother’s good company. I was so impressed how she managed her illness and embraced life all the more because of it. When we next visited your family home on Mountain Avenue, I could see Joyce was overwhelmed by making the transition of closing down a home of a lifetime and venturing into uncharted territory. Thank you both for helping her to make the move from Berkeley Heights to Seattle so successfully. Your mother will be sorely missed, and my heartfelt condolences to you both and to your families.
Sincerely,
Brian Stenfors
Classmate of Joyce
K – 12 – Life