Joyce Virginia (Matthews) Pemberton

March 15, 1936 – August 11, 2020

Joyce Virginia (Matthews) Pemberton passed away peacefully in her home, early morning August 11, 2020 of natural causes at the age of 84.

Joyce was born in Brush, Colorado to Wallace and Bessie Matthews, and sister Rosemarie. They moved to Portland, Oregon when she was a small child. Joyce attended Gilbert Grade and Gresham High School. She married Richard “Dick” Pemberton in 1953 and had two daughters, Connie and Vickie. They purchased their Portland home in 1962, where they were surrounded by family and friends. While raising their family, the Pemberton household became homebase for multiple generations, spanning 57 years.

Dick and Joyce loved dancing and playing cards with friends, hosting many gatherings in their large party room. They had a lot of fun times at the Elks dancing on the large ballroom floor. Together, they enjoyed the different casinos, as they were built, which explains the collection of VIP casino cards she had in the trunk of her car. Dick and Joyce had a sense of adventure and loved traveling with friends. Their years of tent and trailer camping were cherished memories, but moving to hotels and condos was a comfortable transition into their 70s.

Joyce worked as a dental assistant for many years (which explains why each of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren had a toothbrush with their name on it in her bathroom cupboard). She left the dental field to care for her mother, Bessie. Joyce continued on, helping in the lives of her children and following generations (it takes a village).

Joyce had some great friends and was proud to be a member of the Sexy Six. They had great fun and laughs drinking wine, going to lunches and adventuring on field trips.

Through the years, Joyce took many classes: skiing, golfing, dance, Tai Chi, but fell in love with her art classes. She became quite a painter of different mediums. After discovering joy in listening to audio books, her interest in a variety of genres expanded and she went through hundreds of books. The last few years, Joyce really enjoyed her computer (thank goodness she had techies in the family). Joyce loved staying connected with friends and family via email, facebook and her new portal. Having a curious mind, she loved Google search at her fingertips, which gave her access to WebMD and unlimited new recipes to try. She also used it to discover new restaurants and places to visit, which led her to visit towns with beautiful murals like Estacada, Silverton and a weekend trip to Toppenish. Before COVID hit, she was in the midst of planning to visit all the covered bridges in Oregon (which there are 56).

Camping was a cherished time for all of the family, the big blue pickup truck and trailer were recognisable by friends and family alike. The Pemberton’s trailer, just as their house in Portland, became homebase for everyone in their home away from home (tent), especially in the rain.

Joyce, Aunt Joyce (one word), Joycie loved her family fiercely and was always there for them. Her grandsons called her the ‘Great Wise Owl.’ She has been the rock of the family and will be lovingly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Snowcap.