I extend my sincere sympathies to Greg and Joel and the rest of Joyce's family.  

As anyone who knew her can attest, Joyce was smart and deep and independent and didn't suffer fools, and most of all she was honest.  She "spoke truth to power" fearlessly. That was the beginning of my deep friendship with Joyce. 

I first met her at a workshop she gave in 2010 or 2011 at a Quaker North Pacific Yearly Meeting Annual Session  titled "Speaking Truth When Silence is Wrong."  It impressed me powerfully and led to many conversations about the topic of speaking out, even having the courage to shock those who were more interested in not offending, in not making waves, than in confronting truth.  

For many years, even when COVID came along, Joyce and I got together almost every week to walk in Laurelhurst Park. We ambled along the paths and shared our thoughts and sometimes sat on a bench to watch the ducks in the pond and the people passing by.  We didn't just talk about recent events in our lives. Over time our life histories came out, and our beliefs and "philosophies" and lessons learned, our satisfactions and hopes and regrets.  We grew close and trusted each other.  She became a part of my heart where she will always live.

As part of her involvement in the world and commitment to social justice, Joyce regularly contributed original articles and book reviews, as well as quotes and other items she came across, to the Multnomah Friends Meeting Monthly Newsletter.  (At the suggestion of a Friend, we put a selection of a dozen of these contributions together, including a "Friendly Faces" biographical interview of Joyce, into a PDF document to share with her family; others may request it by email at newsletter@multnomahfriends.o….)  

Joyce offered another workshop at Annual Session one year,  also on the subject of finding the right words to speak truth in difficult situations:  "What Can I Say? Talking to Suffering Friends."  This was her gift as a hospice nurse.  She was sensitive, intuitive, caring, and able to get beneath the surface and respond to people's pain, unafraid to say what's difficult.  I hope  someone like this was with her during her illness and at the end.

My condolences to Joyce's family. I first met Joyce when we were classmates in our nursing program at St. Olaf. She was kind, witty and passionate about nursing. She took to heart our nursing instructors admonishment to us that we were to be agents of change. Joyce personified that drive throughout her nursing career. The profession has lost a great advocate and we have lost a friend.

Marilyn Chapman, St Olaf BSN Class of 1966

Joyce was a true friend and sympathetic ear for my parents, Richard and Marilynn Rytting. They met each other at Holladay Park Plaza, attended HPP functions, and conversed frequently. Dad was drawn to Joyce's  intellect, compassion, mutual experience as healthcare providers, and her resourcefulness. Joyce comforted our Dad as he struggled with his own cancer, and our Mom's quick decline with Lewy Body dementia. Joyce fiercely advocated for their proper care and resources, including writing letters to HPP for their arbitrary and uncompassionate non-clinical staff decisions given our parents unique situation. She became a true champion to my siblings and I.  She attended the Zoom memorials for both our Mom and Dad this year, and once again, we appreciated her sympathies and presence.   Her passing is truly heart-breaking. She will be greatly missed by so, so many.

Warmly,

Cassandra Rytting, Heidi Rytting Huntsman, Aimee Rytting Wilson, and Michael Rytting