Joyce Alcocer (Boyajian) Michaels went to be with her Jesus on Saturday evening, August 23, 2025, after an 18-month battle with breast cancer, fought with grace and courage. She was surrounded by her children, her husband, and her beloved dog Millie as she entered the presence of her Lord.

Joyce was born on June 25, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois, to Sark and Alice Boyajian. She was the middle of three daughters, with her older sister, Susan, and her younger sister, Jill.

Joyce grew up active in her Armenian church, making countless memories at Hye Camp and as a member of the A.C.Y.O.A. youth group. She competed in Sports Weekends, attended many Armenian dances, and treasured her heritage. From a young age, she found joy in music, playing violin and piano, and developed a love of riding horses, which became a lifelong passion.

Above all, from a young age, Joyce was deeply rooted in her faith. She exuded her love for the Lord through everything she did. Her faith carried her through every trial and tribulation, and she was known as a prayer warrior throughout her community and for family and friends near and far.

She attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and later Washington University in St. Louis, where she studied to become an occupational therapist and where she met her first husband, Robert Alcocer. Together they welcomed their daughter, Hope, in 1988. After Robert’s passing later that year, Joyce poured her love into raising her daughter.

In 1992, Joyce married her loving husband, Mark Michaels, in Palos Park, Illinois. Together they shared 33 years of marriage, building a life and family rooted in faith and love. They welcomed daughter Madeline and son Luke, and in 1998 moved to Hastings, Michigan, where they created a hobby farm on 40 acres. Joyce cherished those years as an active mom in 4-H, her church community (TVC), and as a homeschooling mother to her three children. Surrounded by her land, animals, and family, Joyce was truly in her happiest place.

Once her children reached adulthood, Joyce returned to her occupational therapy career, working with various agencies throughout Barry County. She later relaunched her own private practice, OT with Joy, where she touched the lives of countless families and children. She also enjoyed baking her weekly loaves of bread, hiking, gardening, cooking, maintaining the property with Mark, and attending her weekly Bible study. Joyce was active in the Ada Bible Church community and, more recently, Fish Farm Ministries. Even after her diagnosis, she remained devoted to her faith and to her studies at Charis Bible College.

She leaves behind her beloved husband of 33 years, Mark; her children, Hope (Garrett), Madeline (Daniel), and Luke (Catharina); and her three bonus grandkids on the East Coast: Maddy, Emmy, and Cole. She is also survived by her sisters, Susan and Jill, and her extended Armenian family, who loved her dearly. She is reunited in heaven with her parents, Sark and Alice Boyajian; her grandparents, Armen and Vera Samarjian, and Garabed and Aghavney Boyajian; her granddaughter, Mia Joy; and her first husband, Robert Alcocer.

A Celebration of Life will be held on October 18th from 1 to 4 PM at Eastern Kille Distillery in Rockford, Michigan. This will be an open-house style celebration. Guests are welcome to come and go at any time during the three-hour gathering as we honor Joyce’s life together. Please RSVP here on Ever Loved or using the Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/shar…)

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor Joyce in a way that reflects her heart. She often said, “Cut flowers made me sad, because it meant a flower had to die.” In her memory, please plant something living — a flower, tree, or garden — and share a photo with us. It will bring comfort to see life and beauty continuing to grow in her honor.

Additionally, donations may be made to the American Wild Horse Campaign,  an organization that is known for its work rescuing and protecting wild mustangs in the West.  Horses were Joyce's lifelong joy, beginning at age four when her father first lifted her onto a saddle.

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