Joyce Odessa Holmes Coursey, peacefully transitioned into eternity at her home surrounded with her husband, sons, and daughter-in-law by her side on June 24, 2022.
Joyce was born on July 3, 1940, to the late Otis and Maggie Brown Holmes in Ridgely, MD. Joyce attended Lockerman High School with the class of 1959 in Denton, MD. She was joined in holy matrimony to Thomas Lee Coursey on July 27, 1959.
Joyce was a member of Union Bethal Church and served on the Boston Stanford Missionary Society.
Joyce’s occupational career included nursing in Labor Delivery and Pediatrics at New Brunswick Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ, hotel management, and she retired
from skill nursing in patients’ homes with Private Care. Joyce dedicated her life and time to her family and close friends. She always had a jovial smile, enjoyed cooking and making cakes for family, friends, and her children. She enjoyed being with family, having fun at gatherings, at times she’d have a dance or two with her husband and sons. She acquired the name of “Mom Joyce” in the community from many families.
Joyce enjoyed sharing her motherly love to many individuals whose mothers had transitioned on and was very close to her heart. Joyce also enjoyed from time to time going to functions and listening to her husband play the guitar in the band.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Otis and Maggie Holmes; sisters, Virlice Stanford, Marilyn Nichols, Mildred Holmes, and Gladys Holmes; brothers, Alvin Holmes, William Holmes, Sr., Gilbert Holmes, and Ronald Holmes; and Selena Murray and Levie “Tootsie,” her best friends.
Joyce leaves to cherish her memories: her husband, Thomas Lee Coursey; sons, Carlton A. Holmes and Anton L. Coursey, Sr., (Marcel); stepson, Ronald Handy; special niece, Shirley Holmes Cottom; special nephew, Allen “Beaver” Holmes; grandchildren, Donte Turner (Leslie), Marques Smith (Sonya), and Anton Coursey Jr. (Sanette); extended grandchildren of Ronald Handy; five great-grandchildren; two great- great-grandchildren; nieces, Shirley Cottom (John), Renee Barber (Ricardo), Kim Connor (Joe), Linda Dodd (Frank), Alvinia Holmes, and Gladys Mann; nephews, Allen Holmes, William Holmes, Jr., Evan Holmes (Vonda), Deshaun Taylor, and Stanford Ricketts, Jr., (Nykita); a host of great-nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends, including close and loving friends, Merele Bonner, Hazel Jenkins (Frank), Madelyn George (John), Joyce Wright, and Dietra Ringgold; adopted sister, Doris Roach (Plootie); very close cousin, Enoch “Sonny” Rich (Beatrice); godchildren, Angela Trott, Audrey Jenkins, Terrence Jenkins (Phyllis), and Sylvia Beth Eggerson; and three sisters-in-law, Lenora Perry, Delores Ricketts, and Janice Coursey Seth.
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