Joyce Savage Daves, age 95, passed away on May 15, 2023, at her assisted-living apartment in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. She was born on January 2, 1928, in Sheridan, California.

After Joyce attended Glad Tidings Bible Institute in San Francisco for a year, she married Philip Savage on June 24, 1949. They moved to Sedro-Woolley the following year and eventually had two daughters: Diana and Jennifer.

Following Phil’s death on January 31, 1972, Joyce married V. Louis Daves on December 23, 1973. She was widowed a second time when Louis passed away on April 26, 1986. The loss of two life companions led to her decision to remain single the rest of her life.

When her daughters were older, Joyce worked at Sedro-Woolley businesses Mode O’ Day, Fashion Crossroads, and Shirley’s Good Earth Nutrition. After she retired, she volunteered for 27 years at Helping Hands Food Bank of Skagit County.

For many years, Joyce was deeply involved in church activities, including Women’s Missionary Council, Sunday school, children’s church, vacation Bible school, and playing accordion in the church orchestra. She also served as pianist for church and rest-home services.

Joyce loved finding good bargains and searching out hard-to-find items to give to loved ones. She also enjoyed gardening, putting up preserves, cooking for potlucks, collecting Van Johnson movies and memorabilia, baking banana bread to share, reading Love Inspired Christian-romance novels, and playing weekly Scrabble games with her long-time friend Ellsworth Baker. As a fan of Gaither Homecoming music videos, she went on the trip of a lifetime in 2009 when she and Diana sailed on a Gaither Alaskan cruise.

In 2014, she moved from her rural home of 61 years to an assisted living apartment at Country Meadow Village in Sedro-Woolley, where she resided the remaining 9 years of her life, supported by Jennifer’s loving and watchful care.

She is survived by daughters, Diana Savage (Alan Bulger) of Maple Valley, WA, Jennifer (Lloyd) Tjeerdsma, of Burlington, WA; granddaughters, Aimee (Gil) Lenger, of Avondale, AZ, Ariel Tjeerdsma of Burlington, WA; great-grandson Jedidiah Lenger of Avondale, AZ.

In addition, Joyce is survived by stepdaughter, JoAnn (Liz) Daves Recor, of Federal Way, WA; numerous beloved step-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren in the Daves family.

She was preceded in death by husbands, Philip Savage, and Louis Daves; grandson, Mallon Kruger, in 1978; father, Ronald B. Newcomb in 1997; stepdaughter, Anita Daves LaGrone, in 1999, mother, Gladys Newcomb in 2006; stepson, John Daves in 2013; her special friend of 31 years, Ellsworth Baker, in 2018.

While living for the better part of a century was a blessing to Joyce in many ways, one of the sad realities for her was being bereaved by the loss of so many family members, friends, and colleagues over the decades. She truly looked forward to being reunited with them in heaven. She is now realizing that blessed hope.

Viewing hours will be from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, May 24 and 25, at Lemley Funeral Chapel, 1008 Third Street Sedro-Woolley, WA. A graveside service will be on Friday, May 26, 2023 at 2:00PM at Union Cemetery, 1450 Wicker Road, Sedro-Woolley.  Memorials are suggested to the Helping Hands Food Bank, PO Box 632, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, (360) 856-2211, https://helpinghandsfoodbank.org.  Share your memories of Joyce and sign the online guest register.