Obituaries

Joyce Eileen Saul was born during a cold winter day on January 5, 1942. The daughter of Hester Romaine Wineka and Thomas Nelson Saul, she grew up with brothers John and Jim and sisters Joanne and Jayne (all now deceased) in the Lightners section of York, PA, graduating from Central High School in 1959. After meeting the future love of her life at a Friday-night YWCA dance in York in July, 1962, she and Guy Hovis would go on to be married on September 5th, 1964. Eventually, they would have two children, Kristin (Hovis) and Julie (now Ackerman-Hovis), both of whom Joyce was so very proud. In addition to her daughters Joyce is survived by her son-in-law Patrick Ackerman-Hovis along with grandchildren Izak Hovis, and Jesse, Miles, Alli, and Jonas Ackerman-Hovis. In the early years of her marriage Joyce helped support her husband as a secretary at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and later in the office of the Secretary of the Corporation at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During her life Joyce was an immeasurable support to her husband as a source of encouragement during his graduate education at Harvard, typist of his doctoral dissertation, proof-reader of his scientific papers, nurturer of their children, manager of the household, payer of bills, elevator of family spirits during tough times, and manager of her own child-care service to help pay for the educations of daughters Kristin and Julie at Swarthmore College. Joyce contributed greatly to the welfare, happiness, and success of her family in countless and immeasurable ways that included gifts of candy, baked goods, blankets, and toys to her grandchildren, loving and substantial generosity to both her daughters during the births of their children, and immeasurable support of her husband. Indeed, Joyce’s contributions to her husband’s success are recognized in Van Wickle Hall at Lafayette College on a plaque citing the conamed Guy and Joyce Hovis Award, an annual prize for academic distinction given to a student majoring in Geology and Environmental Geosciences. To her husband, children, and grandchildren Joyce/Mom/Nanna is irreplaceable. We love you more than we can express in words. May you rest in peace. We shall not forget your happy demeanor, positive attitude, and sincere love and caring for us all. May we all be together again one day.

A remembrance of Joyce will be held at Lafayette College in Van Wickle Hall, Room 108, on Saturday, June 15, starting at 11:00 am. Visitors may also enjoy seeing the minerals and fossils in the Van Wickle museum. Friends and relatives are invited to attend a luncheon on the Lafayette College campus following the remembrance. If you expect to attend the luncheon, please indicate such intentions to Joyce’s husband, Guy, at hovisguy@lafayette.edu.