96 years
Our mother, Joyce May Wallenburg, died of complications of dementia on 04/16/2023, at Maravilla in Santa Barbara, where she resided for the past two years of her life. She was very grateful for their kindnesses and the care of all the staff members at Maravilla. We were all impressed by hospice, who were so kind and compassionate to our family at this most difficult time.
Mother was born on 09/11/1926, to Walter Thomas and Edith Butters in Norwich, England. She had hoped to come to America, when the British were evacuating as many children as they were able to relocate during WWII. Unable to talk any of her girlfriends into joining her, she had to wait until she married our father, Lt. Col. Stephen W. Andrew, who she married in October of 1946, in Norwich, England. They lived in England for a few years, but roughly ten years later, she embarked with her infant son, Denys, on her first transatlantic voyage to America aboard the Queen Mary.
In 1960, Joyce proudly became a United States citizen at the courthouse, here in Santa Barbara. She worked at the Lompoc Record and then Johns-Manville, where she later retired before beginning part-time work at the County of Santa Barbara in Lompoc, and later in Santa Barbara.
She always enjoyed entertaining family and friends, but her real passion was traveling. She traveled with both her husbands and her children, but probably traveled most with her longtime friend and dear traveling companion, John Hennessy. They shared a nearly equal enthusiasm for travel, with John always insisting their next trip be planned immediately upon their return from their latest adventure. Sadly, John died in 1995.
Our mother and her longtime friend, John Wallenburg, commuted between Santa Barbara and Grants Pass Oregon for a number of years, before marrying in 2003, at which time they made their home in Grants Pass Oregon. John was a passionate fisherman and also enjoed his antique cars. He and Joyce both loved hosting friends and family for lovely dinners. Everyone especially enjoyed John raising his finger and announcing, “Story time!”
After John died in 2017, mother made the difficult decision to move back to California to be nearer to her children. She missed her dear Grants Pass friends; Merv, Roberta, and especially Barbara Reavis, her friend and neighbor of many years, who was such a tremendous help and comfort to her after John’s passing.
Joyce was grateful to have been able to enjoy many adventures and travels throughout her long life of 96 years. Her last trip was to Portugal and Spain at the age of 91.
Joyce leaves her children, Denys Malcolm Andrew and Jacqueline Estelle Andrew, along with her extended family through marriage; Lisa Lundy, her husband and three daughters, and Steve Wallenburg and his wife, Jill, Andrea Williams, and Honorah and Geoff Simpson.
She will be missed by all who knew and loved her. For now, we all wish Joyce a very fond and heartfelt, “Bon voyage.”
