Grandma Joyce, A Quality Individual

Last Saturday, January 28, 2006 my Grandma, Joyce Duncan (aka: Yellowspoon)

passed away at the age of 69, just shy of her 70th birthday on February 10th.

As much as I wish I could have just have one more hug, one more bread-baking marathon, one more dance session, or one more game of Hamburger or Rummy with her, I feel so blessed to have shared so many precious times with my Grandma. She led a very full life and was loved by everyone who knew her. My mom had a wonderful role model for a mother.

Here she is with my Grandpa and the all the grandkids in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last March.

As I was looking through my journal from our trip to Mexico I came across her Top Five list.

Grandma’s Top Five on March 22, 2005

1) My partner Ollie

2) My family (all 8 of you)
3) Our dog Shilo
4) Our home
5) Our freedom

My Grandma was always up for a good laugh and was always excited to learn the new lingo and dance moves of “the grandkids generation.” So when she was in San Diego over Christmas and saw Stephanie and I doing some “weird hand motion over our face,” she immediately wanted us to teach her how to do it.

I explained to her that the move was a recreation of a bizarre and life changing performance I witnessed while stuck in LA traffic one afternoon. I gave her a detailed description of the Asian man in the silver Acura who was throwing out the most mind blowing hand motions while rocking out solo on the 405 freeway. Like always, she nailed the performance.

My Grandma was just an all around hilarious individual. When I asked her what phrase or word she’d like me to iron on a t-shirt for her she said, “Oh, nothing fancy. I would just like the t-shirt to say – I Slept With Neil Diamond.”

Like I said, hilarious.

She made the world’s greatest raspberry jam, loved the song “Daniel” by Elton John, had a nickname for everyone, wrote Read-A-Long letters, and planted peas every year on my birthday because that’s what she was doing the day I was born. Her love of life was contagious and her spirit infectious. She was a beautiful woman inside and out who brought joy to all who knew her. I know her spirit will forever live on in the hearts that were touched by her.

Grandpa, Mom and Grandma