Joyce Ann Agur
Joyce Ann Agur passed away peacefully on November 27, 2023, with her daughter beside her. She was 84.
Joyce Ann was born on February 4, 1939, in San Angelo, Texas, to Ellen and Virgil Grimes Sr. She was the second of three children in the family. Her parents were deaf, and Joyce learned to communicate through American Sign Language early in her life. When Joyce was eight, her family moved to San Pedro, California, where her uncle and aunt had settled with their family. In San Pedro, there was work for her father, a trained tailor, a local club for deaf people for her social mother, and the beautiful Pacific Ocean to swim and play in with her cousins!
Joyce thrived in school and, by high school, was involved in many clubs and sports. A talented public speaker, Joyce joined the speech club and was a member of the National Thespian Society. Joyce’s love of swimming led her to join the swim team, and she received her varsity letter for outstanding participation. After high school, Joyce pursued her interest in nursing and graduated from Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Los Angeles in 1964. She was particularly interested in caring for babies and spent the first years of her nursing career working in the obstetrics unit.
In 1965, Joyce’s daughter Doreen was born and named after a young patient that Joyce had cared for in the hospital. Later, Joyce moved with her family to the Bonny Doon mountains of Santa Cruz, where her sister Jeannette raised her three children on a farm. She worked as a registered nurse until 1972 and then studied cartography, working in that field for a few years.
In 1982, Joyce moved to Modesto, California, and began the second part of her professional career in the medical field. Joyce took a job for the State of California as a state surveyor of skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and other health facilities. This position allowed Joyce to use her leadership, medical, and nursing expertise for a new purpose. During this time, Joyce enjoyed outdoor activities and found ways to bring happiness to others. She learned to fly fish and often went camping with friends in the nearby Sierra mountains. Joyce took on the alias Hushmellow the Clown and enjoyed playing this character and entertaining at friends’ parties.
After over a decade of dedicated work, Joyce retired from the State of California proud of her advocacy work for the rights of individuals, young and old, to receive quality care and dignity at health facilities in the state. Joyce happily moved to Santa Barbara in 2000 to be nearer to her daughter and family. A woman of Christian faith, Joyce began volunteering at her church and looked forward to her weekly bible study group. At her new beloved mobile home in Rancho Santa Barbara, Joyce enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, growing vegetables, visiting neighbors, and swimming in the club pool.
In the last years of her life, Joyce lived at Heritage House Assisted Living Community in Goleta, California. Although challenged with chronic pain from osteoarthritis and declining cognition due to Alzheimer’s disease, Joyce stayed busy and always positive about her life. She loved to get out and about – visit beaches and the mountains or get a scoop of her favorite chocolate ice cream from a local shop. Joyce truly appreciated the beauty and spirit of the area. At Heritage House, Joyce developed new friendships with residents, joined in lively BINGO games, and made arts and crafts. Joyce was often the first resident to greet the staff in the morning and would sit beside the fire in the main room to observe the comings and goings of the community. Participating in special occasions with family brought Joyce the greatest joy. At these times, Joyce’s face lit up with her beautiful smile, and her delighted laughter resonated with happiness.
Joyce is survived by her only child, Doreen Edwards, son-in-law Crandall Edwards of Santa Barbara, and the blended family of 5 grandchildren, their spouses, and three great-grandchildren.
Her family will hold a private honoring of her life, as per Joyce’s wishes. If you want to donate in Joyce’s memory, please consider The Alzheimer’s Association, VNA Health, or ASAP Cats of Santa Barbara.