Joyce (Brown) Duesing, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, passed peacefully from this life on January 26, 2024.

Born on July 21, 1943, in Oak Park, Illinois, she was the embodiment of a life filled with love and service, marked by dedication to her family, her friends, and her community.

Joyce leaves behind a legacy of love and caring as Kent's cherished wife of 58 years, the treasured mother of Colin (Elizabeth) and Jeannine (Matthew) Zahn, and the adored grandmother of Nicholas (Harley), Alexander, Brennan, and Ainsley.

She was preceded in death by her parents Ella (Stewart) and Willard Brown and her brother Stewart Brown.

Joyce grew up in Oak Park, with much of her young life shaped by the early death of her father and the loving support of her grandmother.  After graduating from Oak Park-River Forest High School, she attended Monmouth College in Illinois, where she met Kent on a blind date.  Joyce and Kent married shortly after her graduation and started their lives together in Elgin, Illinois.  Joyce began her career as an elementary school teacher there, and she continued teaching when they moved to Tiffin, Ohio.  With the next move to Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Joyce decided to change direction and pursue additional college studies at Waynesburg College and, following their final move to Kenosha in 1978, at Carthage College.

After being a dedicated stay-at-home mom and active volunteer for her kids' schools and activities, Joyce worked in administrative roles at Carthage College and Racine Area United Way.  She later served for many years as the internal auditor at First National Bank of Antioch.  After retirement, she and Kent enjoyed many fabulous vacations, from cruises in Alaska and Hawaii and train trips across the Rocky Mountains, to road trips to national parks and relaxing beach vacations in Florida.

A faithful member of Somers Community United Church of Christ and P.E.O. Chapter AK, Joyce's warm spirit and volunteerism were cornerstones of her life. Her generosity knew no bounds, and her handiwork in crafts, from beautiful quilts to cozy knitted blankets, was an extension of her love and creativity. Joyce was the kind of person who made sure everyone was greeted at church, was the first call if you needed a ride to the doctor and was easy to share a laugh with.

Service Info

Funeral services honoring Joyce’s life will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 2, 2024 at the Piasecki Funeral Home.

A visitation will be held on Friday, February 2, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

The service may be viewed via livestream on the following link http://facebook.com/PiaseckiFuneralHome/live/. You do not need Facebook to watch.

In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances to Diaper Ministry Somers United Church of Christ P.O. Box 183, Somers, WI 53171, a cause close to her heart.