Joyce Lee Garbey

Joyce Lee Garbey made her way to heaven on December 9, 2023, at the age of 92. Joyce was born May 21, 1931, in Haskell, Oklahoma to Lester and Lona Hoover. She shared many stories of her life growing up on the farm in Haskell and how she and her brother would walk miles in the snow to go to school, how she helped picking cotton in the fields, canning with her mom and even getting her driver’s license at 13 years old to be able to help her dad out.

She married John Garbey Jr on October 23, 1956. She and John built the house they called home together in Jenks, Oklahoma. Joyce had a long career at Dowell Chemical Company as well as being a mother and grandmother/great-grandmother. She was called Gaga, Grandma and Memaw by so many and while we all have our own memories, we also have several of the same. How she rubbed our backs and arms with her long fingernails and the soft touch that grandmas have. She always had cookies and candies in the lazy susan containers, and she spoiled us with freshly cut up fruits ready in the fridge. She made the best chicken and dumplings, fried potatoes, fried okra, and chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. Her house always had the comforting aroma of something cooking, especially bacon. She loved being outdoors and working in her garden and of course loved eating the rewards. She never, and I mean never, wasted anything. Her love for her family was unconditional. Joyce later moved to Talala, OK in May of 2022 with her husband where she enjoyed sitting on her porch and watching the cows, chickens and deer. Joyce lived her last days in a memory care residence where she was loved by her family and caregivers. She was kind and acted as if she was on a vacation enjoying all the activities along with her memory care family.

Joyce was proceeded in death by her parents, her husband John Garbey Jr, her son Larry Stanley, her grandson Matthew Stanley and her brother JD.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Dominique and Bruce Sexton of Talala, OK, Nikki Perez of Jenks, OK, PC Perez of Tulsa, OK and Heather and Jason Jones of Rocky Mount, NC, her 10 great grandchildren, her great-great grandson, her caregiver Jill Poindexter and a host of extended family and friends.

Services will be at 2 pm, Tuesday, January 2nd at Harbor Church in Oologah Ok.

The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers you please donate in Joyce’s name to a dementia or Alzheimer’s charity, or to give in some way to help families and caregivers who are suffering from these diseases.