Joyce Marie Totty Obituary
Visitation has been scheduled from 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. Monday, July 17, 2023 in the Leonard-Marker Funeral Home. Services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, July 18 in the Bixby Free Will Baptist Church, 15801 S. Memorial Dr., Bixby, OK officiated by Pastor Jeff Sloan. Interment will follow in the Hoyt Cemetery.
Joyce Marie Totty, 83, passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2023 peacefully at her home in Bixby, surrounded by her family. She was born on September 12, 1939 in Stigler, OK to parents Lloyd F. and Millie M. (Peevyhouse) Allen. She was one of four children, having grown up with two sisters and one brother.
Joyce met Don, the love of her life, during her senior year of high school at an ice cream shop and the rest is history. They were married on December 20, 1957 in Noel, MO while Don was on holiday leave from the Army and then off to El Paso, Texas they went. She was determined to leave with him and finish her education later and she did just that. While in El Paso, Joyce and Don welcomed their first son, Michael. They soon moved back home to Catoosa, OK in 1959 when Don was discharged from the Army and while living there, they had their three daughters, Teresa, Cindy and Mindy. They eventually made the move to Bixby which they would make their forever home. Joyce worked as the head pastry chef for nine years at Bixby Public Schools, and also as a playground monitor for a short time before leaving the school to work at a daycare and to then further babysit in her home. While she was working as the playground monitor, her granddaughter, Amy, was in 2nd grade and because Amy called her 'Grandma' so did all the other kids. Her love for children was truly unmatched. Being a grandma or mawmaw was one of Joyce's favorite roles. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and made it a priority to attend their events and activities.
Joyce loved sports and was an avid Texas Longhorn football and Oklahoma City Thunder fan. She never failed to miss a game. Her son in law would always call and tease her about it every time the Sooners beat the Longhorns, and it was a running rivalry between those two for years.
Joyce will forever be remembered as a great cook. Some of her most loved dishes were her broccoli and cheese casserole, chicken kings ranch casserole and so many others, but her desserts were the best! Banana pudding, chocolate éclair and so many pies! One thanksgiving, she made sure to make her granddaughter, Rachel, and her boyfriend, Jonathon's favorites and when it was time to bring them out Rachel said, "Grandma, I think you forgot the chocolate pie" and she replied, "No I didn't, I made sure to make it for Jonathon!". We later discovered that she had accidentally put the strawberries for the cheesecake on the chocolate pie and it was always a running joke every time she made those pies.
She was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother, always putting everyone's needs before her own. Joyce was selfless, nurturing, loving, strong and she never met a stranger. She also had a great sense of humor, laughing until she cried and making everyone else laugh too. She will be so very missed.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Don Totty, one daughter; Cindy Herod, one son; Michael Totty, 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren, one sister; Retha Anthony and her companion Tim Shultz, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, two daughters; Teresa Totty and Mindy Totty-Shatto, one sister; Linda Allen and one brother; Tommy Allen.
