Joyce Virginia Curtis

Joyce Virginia Curtis was born to Velma and Ellis Chewning in Dallas, Texas on December 7, 1931.  She passed away peacefully on August 24, 2020, following a valiant fight with Alzheimer’s disease.  Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020, at Ridge Park Cemetery with Mr. Glen MacDonald officiating.  The family request that anyone attending the graveside service to please wear a mask.  Mrs. Curtis will lie in state from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, at Marshall & Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro.

Joyce earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Abilene Christian College in 1952 and married Jimmy Curtis on June 5, 1955.  She moved to Hillsboro with Jimmy and started their family in 1960.  Everyone that knew her would say she was a fun-loving, creative mother to her two daughters, as we all as their friends, making every experience a positive adventure.  Joyce loved her family deeply.  Her role as Jimmy’s life partner and mother to Michelle and Marcia were paramount to her.  She was able to infuse fun and style into even the most commonplace of activities.  Joyce loved delivering meals to Jimmy as he worked on the combine farming their land.  She also cherished the deep friendships fostered in the local arts community.  She was instrumental in the inception and success of the Bond’s Alley Art Festival which began in 1964 and continues today.  She was an active member of Hillsboro Church of Christ, where she enjoyed time with her friends in Ladies Bible Class.

Joyce taught elementary art for the Hillsboro School District and later spent 18 years as an art professor at Hill Junior College.  Through her active engagement in the lives of her daughter’s activities and her commitment to the community, Joyce Curtis helped shape the appreciation for art of all varieties and expression.  She was honored to achieve membership in the exclusive Southwest Watercolor Society. 

In retirement, Joyce became the student, exploring Italy, France, Ireland, Turkey, Greece, and many other countries on traveling watercolor workshops.  Her works were exhibited in several gallery shows in Central and North Texas.

She and Jimmy were happily married for 65 years.  They spent their last four years living in Dallas.  First at Belmont Village, where they were fortunate enough to reside in the same building as their dear friend, John Tuggle, and share in the many activities provided there.  The last year of her life was spent at Royal Gardens, where she received the best care possible for someone with memory impairment, while Jimmy also enjoyed the one on one attention.

Joyce is survived by her daughters, Michelle, her husband, Ronnie Wade, and Marcia Curtis-Hornsby and her husband, David Hornsby.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Velma and Ellis Chewning and her loving soulmate and husband, Jimmy, who passed away June 29 of this year.

The family would like to thank Belmont Village for helping to extend Joyce’s cognitive abilities from 2016-2019.  They would also like to pay special tribute to the team at Royal Gardens for their loving care for both Jimmy and Joyce during their last year on earth.  Thanks to Barbi, Christina, Taylor, Felicity, Carolyn, Alma, Alicia, Mary Ann, Summer, Cody, and Jenny.  Additional thanks to Misty Hornsby-Odom for her care, love, and support.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Aging Mind Foundation to fund research seeking the cause of Alzheimer’s disease.  www.agingmindfoundation.org.  Aging Mind Foundation, 1918 N. Olive Street, #2301, Dallas, TX 75201 (214-520-5928).

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