Sr. Joyce DeShano, CSJ, entered into eternal life Dec. 21. She was born in Flint on March 4, 1939, the daughter of Louis J. DeShano and Pauline Breaugh DeShano. The family belonged to St. John Vianney Parish in Flint, where she graduated from St. John Vianney High School in 1957, and from which she entered the Congregation of St. Joseph of Nazareth on Sept. 1, 1958. She graduated from Nazareth College in 1967 with a major in French, and went on to receive an M.A. in religious studies from the University of Detroit and an M.Div. in theology and Scripture from St. John Provincial Seminary.

As a Sister of St. Joseph for more than 54 years, Sr. Joyce served in education as a junior high teacher and principal; in congregational leadership; as an oncology chaplain in Detroit; as vice-president of sponsorship at St. John Health; vice-president of mission in the Sisters of St. Joseph Health System; board chairwoman for Ascension Health; and for many years as a facilitator for groups and congregations throughout the country.

Sr. Joyce is survived by the two sisters who lived with her for the past 30 years, Sr. Joann DiMercurio, CSJ, and Sr. Mary Ann Wyllie, CSJ; brothers, John and Don, sisters Lois Lawrence, Mary Pollock and Paula Androsky; sister-in-law Carole DeShano, many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews whom she loved very much. Sr. Joyce will also be remembered with love by hundreds of close friends, and her Sisters in the Congregation of St. Joseph and other communities of women religious. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Bob DeShano.

The funeral liturgy at Nazareth Center of the Sisters of St. Joseph at Kalamazoo was held Dec. 28.