Joyce Hall

Joyce Marie Hall, 81, of Kalamazoo and formerly of Battle Creek, died Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, after a short illness.
She was born on June 24, 1932, in Ceresco, MI, the only child of Orvie "Bill" and Lila (Miller) Hall. She grew up in Wattles Park and attended school in the Ceresco and Marshall area. In her early life, she was an active member of the Battle Creek Friends Church. Though growing up during the Great Depression was difficult, Joyce always spoke lovingly of her childhood. She treasured fishing trips with her parents, visits with her Hall cousins in Lakeview, Michigan, and mischief with her Miller cousins in Marshall. She never forgot her beloved dog, Dollie, and cat, Dickie. She was particularly devoted to her maternal grandmother and always named Grandma Miller as one of her greatest inspirations.

Joyce's early employment included the F.W. Woolworth store and the Wolverine Insurance Company, both formerly located in downtown Battle Creek. In May 1958, she went to work for the Upjohn Company, now Pfizer Inc., in Kalamazoo. She worked at Upjohn in a variety of administrative roles for 33 years, retiring in 1991. Joyce thoroughly enjoyed her work and friends at Upjohn, and even recently remarked how much she wished she could go back to work.

Joyce had a special connection to animals and worked as an in-home pet sitter for many years after retiring from Upjohn. She kept photo albums of all the animals she had known and related to them as if they were children. She was especially fond of Boston Terriers and collected Boston Terrier figurines and artwork. Tina, the Boston Terrier she owned in the 1960s and 1970s, was one of the great loves of her life. As a young adult, Joyce was an excellent pianist and enjoyed performing at church and family functions. She was an avid bowler and played for years on the Upjohn Women's League.

Joyce loved traveling and had visited many parts of the United States. In the summer of 1973, she enjoyed a three-week trip to Europe. She had visited cousins Mark and Jeff twice in New York City, and was particularly thrilled to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person in 1996. She was keenly interested in family history and enjoyed sharing stories and photos of her ancestors. She loved the performing arts and was a Kalamazoo Civic Theatre season subscriber for many years. She was a great fan of classic movies and especially enjoyed Shirley Temple and Judy Garland, among many others.

Joyce had a big heart for the less fortunate and was especially proud of her volunteer work with the homeless at Ministry with Community in Kalamazoo. She also had done volunteer work at the Kalamazoo Nature Center and Miller Auditorium. A kind, gentle and generous person, Joyce was a devoted daughter, cousin, neighbor, and friend. Throughout her life, Joyce's closest friend and confidante was her first cousin, Marion Lutz Glubke. She regarded Marion's family as her own and was deeply involved in the lives of Marion's three children.

She is survived by Marion and Jerry Glubke of Battle Creek. Other survivors include Marion and Jerry's children, Mark Glubke (Jeffrey White) of Kalamazoo, Michael Glubke (Jody) of Austin, TX, Kristen Glubke of Battle Creek, and their families. Joyce also is survived by numerous cousins and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Orvie, in 1971, and her mother, Lila, in 1995.

According to Joyce's wishes, cremation has taken place and a memorial service to celebrate her life will be 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at the Ceresco Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 23 at the church. For full obituary, and information about the memorial service, please visit http://farleyestesdowdle.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joyce's name may be made to Ministry with Community in Kalamazoo or any branch of the Humane Society.