Joyce Hunt (11 Oct 1927 - 23 Feb 2023)

In loving memory of Joyce Hunt who sadly passed away on 23rd February 2023

Ma was born on 11th October 1927 in Greenwich Hospital, London. She is the daughter of Jessica Thurston nee Ward and Harry Thurston, a veteran of World War I who survived five major battles before returning home. They lived in the very run down area of Docklands London, Rotherhithe. Jessica originated from Stepney, East London.
Ma had two sisters, Joan, five years younger and Jean, ten years younger.
The family holidays were spent in the hop fields of Kent; an East and South East London tradition.
After the outbreak of war in 1939 Joyce and Joan were evacuated to Burnham on Sea, Somerset. Joyce, who was 12 years old looked after 7 year old Joan but the girls were not treated well during the first placement. Their mother, Jessica, had to intervene robustly to get them relocated.
In 1949 Joyce married my father, Thomas Henry Hunt, who had served in the Home Guard then the Royal Navy.
Between February 1951 and June 1953, three sons were born, Michael, Gary then Stephen. The family still lived in Rotherhithe in a small house in which also lived my Grandparents, Harry and Jessica.
In 1956, following a slum clearance program in docklands, both families moved out to Kidbrooke, SE London, where they lived in two prefabs. In 1966 Joyce, Tom and the boys moved to a mid-terrace home on the Corelli Road Estate, Kidbrooke.
Joyce had various jobs including Peak Freans Biscuit factory, Bermondsey, Woolworths in Eltham. In later life she became a typist, then a Clerical Officer with The Ministry of Defence at Woolwich. Her principal work was the distribution of coded books to Royal Navy Warships and bases.
Tragedy struck in 1989, when our dad died suddenly of a heart attack, aged 66 years. The couple had planned to buy a bungalow in Southend but this was cancelled. Ma was so badly distressed by Tom's death that she gave up work and never went into the family home again. After living in Sidcup with Michael, Medway with Stephen then Southend with Gary, she went to sheltered accommodation in Eastwood Southend.
Joyce's eyesight was badly affected by a series of strokes but she still managed to pursue her hobby of going to Bingo very often where she also loved to play the slot machines.
We held a large family party for her 90th Birthday which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Shortly after that party she began to show symptoms of Dementia and in 2018 she went into Havengore Care Home, Eastwood. She had many falls, some very serious. Her injuries included a broken hip, broken collarbone (twice) head injuries and a burst blood vessel in her buttocks which required emergency surgery.
Ma 'bounced back' from these injuries, well-cared for by the staff of Havengore House.
She finally succumbed to the frailty of old age and end stage dementia on Thursday 23rd February 2023. Gary was present at her passing.
In her final years she enjoyed mostly the visits from her Granddaughters Ellie and Kate and their children, Amelie, Poppy and Amaya, which brought much joy to her.
Joyce leaves seven Grandchildren and nine Great Grandchildren