Eulogy as delivered by Becky Dominique
July 13, 2021
The name Joyceline is of Hebrew origin and means “joyous, cheerful, and merry,” which is a great description of how she lived her life and how we all remember her. They say after the pain of losing a loved one has passed, it is the fond memories that remain and fill the holes left in our hearts. It is these memories of her life that I would like to share with you today.
Mrs. Joyce was born and raised in Raceland as a proud Cajun and the daughter of Herman and Rosa Mae Robichaux. Her family consisted of her older sister Aunt Viola, and younger siblings Uncle Herman, and the late Uncle Maxie. Because many members of her family served in the military to include her father, two brothers, several uncles, grandchildren and her son, Mrs. Joyce was a strong supporter of our veterans. She would often tell the story of how as a young girl, she hid under her bed when her dad came back from serving in World War II.
Aunt Viola remembers Mrs. Joyce as a tough tomboy in her youth. Someone who could beat up the boys in the neighborhood and at school. But she had a big heart for family and friends. Even Strangers. She was always willing to help. One funny story that Aunt Viola remembered is that Maw Maw Rosa Mae always had to call Mrs. Joyce back on the way to catch the school but because her clothes never matched.
As a teenager, Mrs. Joyce was in the pep squad and played basketball at Raceland High School. In her free time, she worked at the local movie theater in Raceland. It was there that she met a young man from Gheens, Alvin Dominique, who she ended up marrying in the old Saint Mary Church on January 27, 1958. They lived in Gheens for 24 years and had six wonderful children during their 43 years together – my late and loving husband Alvin Jr., Angie, Herman, Susie, Dean and Tanya. She was also the mother of the late Jezel Knight.
Angie remembers the sacrifices Mrs. Joyce made for her family. She often thinks about how Mrs. Joyce would get up early and go milk the cow so the family could have fresh milk in the morning, and how she would always try to help those in need, even in last years in of her life. Mrs. Joyce even worked in the sugar cane fields in the back of Gheens to help provide for her family.
She loved fishing and the great outdoors. Fishing was her passion. Susie has many wonderful memories of going to Elmer’s Island and of her fishing all day with Mr. Alvin.
In 1982 Mr. Alvin and Mrs. Joyce moved to Grand Bois to be closer to the L&A shipyard, which Mr. Alvin owned with his cousin and good friend, Mr. Leroy.
When times were tough, Mrs. Joyce took a job at Rouses in Houma, and later at Chabert Medical Center where she worked until retiring. She did this to make sure the family was taken care of, and the bills were paid as best as possible.
Angie has wonderful memories of the time Mrs. Joyce took belly-dancing classes with her at Nichols State. Tanya used to laugh at her when she practiced at home. Angie also remembers the good times when they went out with her, her friends, and Tanya, to include the time Mrs. Joyce won a costume contest dressed as a witch.
While living in Grand Bois, Mr. Alvin and Mrs. Joyce opened their home to an international exchange student named Massimo Pozzi from Milan, Italy. He wanted to share the following about Mrs. Joyce:
“Being a 17 years old boy in a foreign country on the other side of the ocean, is a big thing, for a young teenager. Your mom made the process smooth for me, because she treated me since day one like I was part of the family, and afterward she took care of me and provided me precious guidance to navigate through that challenging experience. I felt like I was at home with her and I could feel the love and affection she had for me, both during the year I spent there, and also in the following years through the regular updates she provided me on the family via correspondence. I will never ever forget her tender smile and I will keep her forever in my heart.”
Many in Grand Bois will remember Mrs. Joyce for her environmental activism when Exxon shipped truckloads of toxic waste from Alabama to the Campbell Wells pits in 1994. This led to a 60 Minutes story, and eventually to Governor Mike Foster to change state rules regarding the handling of oilfield waste. In the end, the people of Grand Bois won their case against Exxon and Campbell Wells in part to Mrs. Joyce’s help. Gladstone Jones, the lawyer for the case said, “I was very fond of Joyceline and have very fond memories of spending time with her in Grand Bois. She was always thoughtful, kind and pleasant to be with.”
But what family and friends mostly remember is her cooking. She always had chicken nuggets ready for Jonas to eat when we visited because she knows he was a picky eater.
Susie remembered how Mrs. Joyce wanted to feed everyone and was always asking if you were hungry. She would even buy food for people who held up signs on the side of the road that read, “Will work for food.”
As a young boy, Dean would often go pick blackberries from the fence along the family property and Joyce would make the most amazing blackberry dumplings. She would use leftover crawfish to make his favorite dish, crawfish bisque, which he would often eat the stuffing out of as many crawfish head as he could.
Of course, everyone remembers spending the holidays at her house and her holiday cooking. One year, Joyce and I decided to make apple pies for the holidays. Just her and I got together at her house and started baking and drinking wine. After the pies were baked, and we were giggling from the wine, Mr. Alvin took a bite of one of the pies and informed us that we forgot to peel the apples! So the pies turned out pretty chunky, but we thought it was hilarious!
I loved the way she cooked her turkey for the holidays and I still to this day cook mine the same way. Belly down and then flip it halfway through. When I flip the turkeys on the holidays, I always text my boys and tell them it is time for the annual flipping of the bird! And I always think of her.
Angie remembers how the family would always get together at Mrs. Joyce’s home for the holidays. Tanya loved her Turkey for Thanksgiving and her 25-minute jambalaya, as well all of the times that Mrs. Joyce fed all of Tanya’s friends, or whoever was visiting. As one of Tanya’s friends posted on Facebook, “She didn’t have to love us. She wanted to. She chose to. She made sure we were fed day after day.”
Sadly, Mr. Alvin passed away in 2001. A few years later, she met Ernest Boudreaux and they later married and moved to Arkansas. She enjoyed many things about her new life in Harrison, Arkansas including her camp at Lakeway where she rode her golf cart and passed the time watching the deer. She and Ernest enjoyed singing Karaoke together and made many trips to Branson and the Harrison Senior Center to sing together.
Mrs. Joyce passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on June 9th. She was a parishioner at the Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Harrison, Arkansas, where she will be laid to rest.
Mrs. Joyce will be missed by anyone who was lucky enough to know and love her. Thank you all for joining us today in remembering and honoring the life of Mrs. Joyce.
Mrs. Joyce was born and raised in Raceland as a proud Cajun and the daughter of Herman and Rosa Mae Robichaux. Her family consisted of her older sister Aunt Viola, and younger siblings Uncle Herman, and the late Uncle Maxie. Because many members of her family served in the military to include her father, two brothers, several uncles, grandchildren and her son, Mrs. Joyce was a strong supporter of our veterans. She would often tell the story of how as a young girl, she hid under her bed when her dad came back from serving in World War II.
Aunt Viola remembers Mrs. Joyce as a tough tomboy in her youth. Someone who could beat up the boys in the neighborhood and at school. But she had a big heart for family and friends. Even Strangers. She was always willing to help. One funny story that Aunt Viola remembered is that Maw Maw Rosa Mae always had to call Mrs. Joyce back on the way to catch the school but because her clothes never matched.
As a teenager, Mrs. Joyce was in the pep squad and played basketball at Raceland High School. In her free time, she worked at the local movie theater in Raceland. It was there that she met a young man from Gheens, Alvin Dominique, who she ended up marrying in the old Saint Mary Church on January 27, 1958. They lived in Gheens for 24 years and had six wonderful children during their 43 years together – my late and loving husband Alvin Jr., Angie, Herman, Susie, Dean and Tanya. She was also the mother of the late Jezel Knight.
Angie remembers the sacrifices Mrs. Joyce made for her family. She often thinks about how Mrs. Joyce would get up early and go milk the cow so the family could have fresh milk in the morning, and how she would always try to help those in need, even in last years in of her life. Mrs. Joyce even worked in the sugar cane fields in the back of Gheens to help provide for her family.
She loved fishing and the great outdoors. Fishing was her passion. Susie has many wonderful memories of going to Elmer’s Island and of her fishing all day with Mr. Alvin.
In 1982 Mr. Alvin and Mrs. Joyce moved to Grand Bois to be closer to the L&A shipyard, which Mr. Alvin owned with his cousin and good friend, Mr. Leroy.
When times were tough, Mrs. Joyce took a job at Rouses in Houma, and later at Chabert Medical Center where she worked until retiring. She did this to make sure the family was taken care of, and the bills were paid as best as possible.
Angie has wonderful memories of the time Mrs. Joyce took belly-dancing classes with her at Nichols State. Tanya used to laugh at her when she practiced at home. Angie also remembers the good times when they went out with her, her friends, and Tanya, to include the time Mrs. Joyce won a costume contest dressed as a witch.
While living in Grand Bois, Mr. Alvin and Mrs. Joyce opened their home to an international exchange student named Massimo Pozzi from Milan, Italy. He wanted to share the following about Mrs. Joyce:
“Being a 17 years old boy in a foreign country on the other side of the ocean, is a big thing, for a young teenager. Your mom made the process smooth for me, because she treated me since day one like I was part of the family, and afterward she took care of me and provided me precious guidance to navigate through that challenging experience. I felt like I was at home with her and I could feel the love and affection she had for me, both during the year I spent there, and also in the following years through the regular updates she provided me on the family via correspondence. I will never ever forget her tender smile and I will keep her forever in my heart.”
Many in Grand Bois will remember Mrs. Joyce for her environmental activism when Exxon shipped truckloads of toxic waste from Alabama to the Campbell Wells pits in 1994. This led to a 60 Minutes story, and eventually to Governor Mike Foster to change state rules regarding the handling of oilfield waste. In the end, the people of Grand Bois won their case against Exxon and Campbell Wells in part to Mrs. Joyce’s help. Gladstone Jones, the lawyer for the case said, “I was very fond of Joyceline and have very fond memories of spending time with her in Grand Bois. She was always thoughtful, kind and pleasant to be with.”
But what family and friends mostly remember is her cooking. She always had chicken nuggets ready for Jonas to eat when we visited because she knows he was a picky eater.
Susie remembered how Mrs. Joyce wanted to feed everyone and was always asking if you were hungry. She would even buy food for people who held up signs on the side of the road that read, “Will work for food.”
As a young boy, Dean would often go pick blackberries from the fence along the family property and Joyce would make the most amazing blackberry dumplings. She would use leftover crawfish to make his favorite dish, crawfish bisque, which he would often eat the stuffing out of as many crawfish head as he could.
Of course, everyone remembers spending the holidays at her house and her holiday cooking. One year, Joyce and I decided to make apple pies for the holidays. Just her and I got together at her house and started baking and drinking wine. After the pies were baked, and we were giggling from the wine, Mr. Alvin took a bite of one of the pies and informed us that we forgot to peel the apples! So the pies turned out pretty chunky, but we thought it was hilarious!
I loved the way she cooked her turkey for the holidays and I still to this day cook mine the same way. Belly down and then flip it halfway through. When I flip the turkeys on the holidays, I always text my boys and tell them it is time for the annual flipping of the bird! And I always think of her.
Angie remembers how the family would always get together at Mrs. Joyce’s home for the holidays. Tanya loved her Turkey for Thanksgiving and her 25-minute jambalaya, as well all of the times that Mrs. Joyce fed all of Tanya’s friends, or whoever was visiting. As one of Tanya’s friends posted on Facebook, “She didn’t have to love us. She wanted to. She chose to. She made sure we were fed day after day.”
Sadly, Mr. Alvin passed away in 2001. A few years later, she met Ernest Boudreaux and they later married and moved to Arkansas. She enjoyed many things about her new life in Harrison, Arkansas including her camp at Lakeway where she rode her golf cart and passed the time watching the deer. She and Ernest enjoyed singing Karaoke together and made many trips to Branson and the Harrison Senior Center to sing together.
Mrs. Joyce passed away peacefully in her sleep at home on June 9th. She was a parishioner at the Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Harrison, Arkansas, where she will be laid to rest.
Mrs. Joyce will be missed by anyone who was lucky enough to know and love her. Thank you all for joining us today in remembering and honoring the life of Mrs. Joyce.