VANFLEET, Joyce J. (1947-2022)

VANFLEET

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2022 at 10:07:55

Joyce Jolene VanFleet
(February 12, 1947 - January 19, 2022)

Joyce was born February 12, 1947 in Wayne County, Iowa and passed away January 19, 2022 from a heart attack at MercyOne Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. Her parents were Marvin and Marvalene Rush. She spent her youth and ultimately graduated from high school in Corydon, Iowa. As a youngster, Joyce showed considerable art talent and graduated from college in Kirksville, Missouri with a degree in Art Education. After student teaching in Seymour, Iowa, Joyce accepted an art instructor position with the Pleasantville Community Schools in Pleasantville, Iowa. She held that position for 37 1/2 years, until her retirement in 2005. Working with young people was one of Joyce's joys.
Joyce married Dennis Van Fleet on July 24, 1974 at the Corydon Methodist Church. Due to Joyce's teaching position, the couple settled in Pleasantville. In December of 2010, they moved to Indianola, Iowa where they currently reside.
They lived together through both good and a few not-so-good times for 47 years. Joyce was diagnosed with cancer in 2015. Her initial treatment was deemed successful until a lone cancerous tumor was later discovered in her lung in 2016. A Cyber knife radiation treatment took care of the tumor, but it showed that she had cancer cells circulating in her system. She then began a regimen of chemotherapy which proved effective. On February 8, 2017, Joyce fell in the chemotherapy facility and shattered her right femur. As a result, Joyce spent her final years confined to a wheelchair. Current tests confirm that she had remained cancer-free. Her husband, Dennis, kept Joyce active by frequently taking her shopping at Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, and other stores of interest and, of course, eating out at restaurants much too often. Joyce didn't like to cook and, perhaps, used the fire safety aspect of being in a wheelchair to draft Dennis as a willing designated chef.
Joyce had a love of kites - due very likely to the use of bright colors and creative use of form. In 1988, Joyce and Dennis started selling kites as Sodbuster's Sky Toys. They ran that business part time for nearly 12 years. They displayed their wares at the Des Moines Botanical Center, Indianola Balloon Classic, and many other local outdoors festivals, as well as, having a shop in their Pleasantville home's basement.
Joyce also used her artistic talents to design tee shirts. In fact, she had the official tee shirt design for RAGBRAI for a few years. She also had the official tee shirt for Indianola's Balloon Classic a couple of times. She designed the logo for Des Moines' Barr Bicycle store among other uses of her artistic skills.
Joyce was a very private person who shared her innermost feelings only with her closest friends. She did not dwell on her health issues, but chose to continue living a full life. She had an independent mind and could at times be a bit stubborn. Yet, she also had a tender, compassionate side that was always ready to help others and a unique sense of humor. As an example of her sense of humor, she had "The Sky Looks Amazing From Here" inscribed on their gravestone in hopes of evoking a smile from someone viewing the stone.
Joyce had a passion for photography, drawing and painting. Her photographs were perfected using Photoshop. She and Dennis spent many enjoyable hours traveling to zoos and natural animal and bird habitats to take photographs. Their home is beautifully decorated with her own art. Joyce enjoyed collecting kites, unique beer steins, seashells and other collectibles that interested her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Ronald who died in infancy, and another brother Jerry. She is survived and will be greatly missed by her husband Dennis, many relatives, and numerous friends.
Services will be held 3 p.m., Sunday, January 23, 2022, at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola, with visitation held from 1:30 to 3 p.m., prior to service. A private burial will take place in Corydon's Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Helping Hand in Joyce’s name. This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/