Obituary of Charlie Harold Joyce

STAMFORD Charlie Harold Joyce, Jr., best known as Chuck, went home to be with the Lord on December 31, 2013. Born in Temple, Texas, to Charlie and Beatrice Joyce on October 6, 1941, Chuck grew up in Austin, and graduated from McCallum High School in 1959 where he was a star baseball, basketball, football and track athlete. He was also well known as a star pitcher and batter in North Austin Little League and North Austin Babe Ruth League. Chuck married Angela Curlee in 1960. They were blessed with two children, Lauri and Jeff. After Angela's sudden passing, and after a second marriage to Julie Paul, he fell in love with Peg O'Neill. They married in 1973 and were also blessed with two children, Windsor and Chelsea. With his beautiful voice and natural guitar-playing abilities, Chuck spent his early years as a musician and played guitar and sang in various groups - notably, Kenneth Threadgill and the Hootnanny Hoots. He made some wonderful memories in the music industry and then decided to settle down and spend time with his family. Following his father's trade as a newspaper pressman, he worked at the Austin American Statesman, the Houston Chronicle, and - after relocating to Long Island, NY, in 1982 - Newsday until his retirement in 2003. He and Peg moved to upstate NY in 2011 where they spent the past few years enjoying their dream cabin in the mountains. Over the years, Chuck had many hobbies - including hunting, boating, fishing, and playing golf. He loved to talk with people - and even more so, he loved to laugh. Many knew his laugh well - a long "wheeze." His sense of humor brought joy to the hearts of many. Chuck's greatest passion was God. For the past 35 years, he dedicated his life to loving Christ and sharing God's word. He touched many people through his gifts of music, encouragement and wise counsel. He was actively involved in the local churches where he worshiped, and diligently contributed to building and edifying congregations through pastoring, teaching, leading, and of course, music. Chuck was a godly man, a loving husband, an adoring father, an encouraging brother and a sweet friend. He is survived by his wife Peg, son Jeff (Linda), daughters Windsor (Ben) and Chelsea, sister Alice (Duane), grandchildren Lindsey & Laura, Jessica (Jimmie) and great-grandchild Bryleigh. He was preceded in death by his parents as well as his daughter, Lauri. Two "Celebration of Life" services will take place as follows: Stamford, New York Friday, January 3rd at 6:00 pm Stamford Baptist Church 40 Lake Street, Stamford, NY 12167 Phone: 607-652-3713 Babylon, New York Sunday, January 5th at 4:00 pm First Baptist Church of Babylon 300 West Main Street, Babylon, NY 11702 Phone: 631-422-0754 Flowers can be sent to the Sunday service, or, in lieu of flowers, a donation - either monetary or through volunteer service - can be made to the following hospice center (or any local hospice): Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care 1 Birchwood Drive Oneonta, NY 13820 800-306-3870 www.cahpc.org Those who wish to share condolences or a special memory may do so online at www.macarthurfh.com. Arrangements are with the MacArthur Funeral Home, Hobart.