HEATHSVILLE—Joyce Herbert Northern, 82, of Heathsville, formerly of Chatham Village, passed peacefully into heaven on Thursday, May 1, 2025.
Joyce was born to the late George William Herbert and to the late Dora Agnes Chatham Herbert. She was a retired food service coordinator for the Northumberland County Public School system. Joyce was a faithful member of Smithland Baptist Church.
Joyce loved children. She was a loving and caring mother to her daughter and son, always being there for them. She loved her sisters’ and brothers’ grandchildren as her own. Joyce cherished the many children she served during her years at school, where she was a friendly and familiar face during lunch hour. She truly enjoyed teaching children’s Sunday school at Smithland.
Her loving, generous nature extended beyond just family, though, as Joyce began caregiving for adults after she retired from the school. Many elderly people knew the gentleness of her voice and the soothing comfort of her touch. For fun Joyce loved camping, visiting the river and just being with her friends and family. She was a joyful soul, down to Earth and always so positive. We will all miss her.
Left to cherish Joyce’s memory and honor her legacy are her beloved children, son, Walter “Lee” Northern Jr. and Cindy N. Gordon (Andy); her sister, Eleanor Stosch; many beloved nieces and nephews; and her best friend, Charlotte Reynolds.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, George and Dora; her daughter-in-law, Sherry Bray Northern; and her siblings, George W. Herbert Jr., Joseph E. Herbert and Alice H. Green.
A graveside funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 9, at St. James Episcopal Church, Tidwells, with the Reverend Jimmy Reamy officiating. All are welcome to attend. Following her service, Joyce will be laid to rest in the Herbert family plot.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Joyce’s loving memory to the St. James Cemetery Fund, Cople Parish, P.O. Box 249, Kinsale, VA 22488.
