Obituary: Joyce Elaine Stratford 1928-2021

Joyce Elaine Stratford, 92, danced into the arms of the Lord on March 28, 2021, a Sunday night brilliantly glowing by the light of a beautiful moon.

Joyce was born December 29, 1928 in Long Beach, California, to George and Anna Thomas.

She grew up in Southern California, attending school in Lynwood and Compton.

She graduated from Compton College where she met Harlan Stratford. Joyce and Harlan married on August 21, 1954.

They raised three daughters in Southern California until moving to the desert on the Colorado River in 1970, then to Sedona, Arizona in 1979, where they spent the rest of their lives together.

In Sedona, Joyce worked as the office manager for Blauert Construction for over 20 years. Joyce loved Sedona and her passion was being an active member of the Sedona Red Rockin’ Grannies.

She also enjoyed softball games at the Posse Grounds, ocean cruises with Harlan and their family and friends, and going to Michael Buble concerts with her girlfriends.

She played the piano her entire life, and loved the Phoenix Suns, giraffes, and her fur babies.

Joyce loved her family and friends and is survived by three daughters, Linda Tunstall (Bill), Stacy Howell (Carl) and Lisa Stratford, and four grandchildren, Chris, Tiffany, Cory and Jeremy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Anna Thomas; her husband, Harlan; her granddaughter, Wendy; her sister, Georgia, and her brother, Dwayne.

A Celebration of Life has not yet been determined and will be announced at a later date.

An online guestbook is available to sign at www.westcottfuneralhome.com.

Information was provided by the family.