Joyce B. (Beckman) Fish

Joyce B. Fish, a 70+ year resident of Bolton, CT, went home to be with her Lord and Savior peacefully on June 5 at the age of 89.

Joyce was born on March 13, 1930 in New Haven, CT, and grew up in Hartford, CT. Shortly after graduating high school, she married Arthur “Arty” Fish, the love of her life at age 18. They made a home in Bolton and attended Calvary Church in West Hartford. Together, they were blessed with four children. Art preceded her into the arms of his Savior at the young age of 43, passing away on their 21st anniversary, leaving her to raise their young children alone. Over the next 50 years, Joyce learned to lean heavily on the Lord for help.

Joyce eventually worked as a clerk in the Secretary of State’s Office in Hartford, where she outlasted several administrations during her 19-year career.

Following her retirement, Joyce spent much of her time sewing, knitting, and gardening. She loved her flowers! She was an avid fan of jigsaw and crossword puzzles. She loved playing card and board games with whoever was around. She took special pride in teaching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren different games and helping them master their numbers. Her memory was always sharp as a tack. She could rattle off all her grands’ and great-grands’ names and birthdays and was an organized and fastidious note-taker. For 20 years, Joyce attended Faith Baptist Church in Manchester along with many of her family and in recent years was part of a home-church in the Lebanon area. Joyce was solid in her faith and excited about it, always ready to share the love of Christ and the hope she had with others.?

All her life, Joyce depended on the Lord’s guidance. Although she was reluctant to leave her loving family, she was looking forward with anticipation to her homecoming in Heaven, to her long-awaited reunion with her husband and the many friends who have gone on before her, and most of all to finally meeting her precious Savior face-to-face.

Joyce is survived by her four children, Linda Calef and her husband, Bruce, of Lebanon, Barbara Van Buren and her husband, Dale, of Hebron, Dolores Haberern and her husband, Ronald, also of Hebron, and her son Andrew Fish of Bolton. She is also known widely and affectionately as “Grandma Fish” to 11 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and countless extended and church family and friends.

A memorial service for Joyce is scheduled for Monday, June 17, at 11:00 at Emmanuel Baptist Church at 296 New Britain Ave, Newington, CT, with a lunch reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Association of Baptists for World Missions (ABWE), PO Box 8585, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8585. Holmes-Watkins Funeral Home, Manchester, is in care of her arrangements. To leave an online message of condolence for her family, please visit www.holmeswatkins.com.

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