Mother and grandmother, Joyce Doyle of Culloden, has died aged 88. Devoted to family, “hers was a life of love”.
Farmer’s daughter
Joyce Isobel Hill was born on March 4 1934 in Kilcoole, County Wicklow, Ireland. The eldest daughter of farmer Roger Hill and his wife Dora, she attended Delgany National School and secondary, in Bray.
On leaving education Joyce began work in an auxiliary nursing role in a clinic for children with disabilities. It was a fitting placement as caring for others is what she did best.
Around the age of 18 Joyce met Robert (Bob) Doyle, an apprentice carpenter from Greystones – the next village to her – at a dance. When Bob qualified and moved to London to secure work in 1953, Joyce followed on around a year later.
They both had family in the English capital so lived with relatives until their wedding, which took place in the Borough of Paddington on July 5 1958.
Life in London
Joyce had various jobs including a Woolworth’s supervisor, however, it was in July 1959 that she began her true vocation, as a mum to her first child Steven.
Fiona came along in July 1968 and until both children were settled in school Joyce didn’t work outside the home. However, that didn’t mean Joyce didn’t work hard. A very practical person, she helped her husband renovate their Wimbledon home.
Bob’s career progressed in London and he became site manager of several large building projects. But they longed to bring their children up in an environment like they both had, so in 1969, they returned to Ireland.
Ireland beckoned them back
Bob and Joyce returned to where they grew up and built a bungalow on the site of Joyce’s family farm, which they moved into in 1972.
Joyce devoted her life to looking after her children and caring for those in the community who needed help.
As a car owner in a village served by very few buses, Joyce would drive Steven and Fiona to school and then would help out anyone else who needed it, nearby. Joyce also helped Bob set up the very successful building company Kilcoole Construction.
In 1984 the family moved to Greystones, where they had built a new house close to the harbour. The family were well known in the town with many friends and relatives close by.
A new start in Inverness
In 1992, Steven married Trish McGowran from Dublin and the following year Fiona wed Ralph Gunn from Inverness.
In 1995, Joyce and Robert went their separate ways and Joyce moved to Scotland to live with Fiona and her family, after the birth of her first granddaughter, Claire.
Joyce made frequent trips back to Ireland enjoying watching Steven’s daughter Amy grow up. Her grandson Callum was born in 2001 and Joyce remained an integral part of the family, helping raise the children.
In 2003 Joyce, Fiona and family returned to Ireland, this time to Adare, County Limerick. Joyce bought her own home near to the family. She was an active member of the Methodist Church and Embury Close Sheltered Housing.
During this time she also spent a year in Greystone’s caring for Bob when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. After a decade Fiona, Ralph and the children returned to Inverness. Joyce followed on in 2016, settling in Culloden with her family.
Always caring
She, again, put her driving skills to good use and her red Toyota Yaris became the vehicle of choice when her grandchildren needed lifts. Even a diagnosis of slow-moving leukaemia couldn’t stop Joyce’s trademark smile and care for others.
In 2022, however, her health began to decline. Steven visited from Australia in November and Joyce spent Christmas at home with family. Shortly after, a chest infection took hold.
Joyce died on December 30 aged 88 just weeks before the birth of her first great-grandchild.
Tributes
Her family conducted a celebration of her life which took place in the parlour of William T Fraser, Inverness, and she was buried in Kilvean Cemetery.
Her favourite hymns, How Great Thou Art, The Lord is My Shepherd and All Things Bright and Beautiful, and a video message from her son were played.
Fiona paid tribute to her mother. She said: “Family was the most important thing to mum. And she invested all her energy, skills and talents into making us as comfortable and as cared for as possible. She gave without ever expecting anything in return.
“In recent months, mum and I talked a lot about her life and she always felt she didn’t achieve anything special or important. But to me she did the most special and important thing in the world – she loved us. And that’s why it’s so hard to lose her.”
“Hers was a life marked by love.”
You can read the family’s announcement here.
Conversation