Joyce Curtis

Campaign - Joyce Day Curtis, 81, of Champaign passed away at 3:15 p.m. Friday (Sept. 2 2016) at her home, surrounded by her loved ones. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Meadowbrook Community Church, 1902 S. Duncan Rd., Champaign. A funeral service will be held at 6:00 p.m. directly following the visitation. Sunset Funeral Home is assisting the family with service and burial arrangements. A memorial scholarship fund in Joyce's honor is being planned at this time, and any gifts are greatly appreciated and can be designated for this. Joyce was born Apr. 23, 1935, in Marshfield, Wisconsin to Olin Lincoln and Lucia Mary (Bogue) Day. The fifth of six children, she grew up in Bement, Illinois, where Joyce attended Bement High School, graduating as valedictorian in 1953. She then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Business Education, graduating from the College of Commerce in January of 1958. In 1954, Joyce met Paul through her younger brother, Jim, as both men were fraternity brothers at FarmHouse. The couple entered into holy matrimony on June 24, 1956. One year later, they moved to San Francisco, California, where Paul served in the US Navy as a serviceman aboard the U.S.S. Interceptor. After the 7 month of Paul's active duty ended, the couple returned to their roots in SW Champaign, where Paul joined the family farming operation, as Joyce took a job as a typing and shorthand instructor at University High School, an occupation that would later support the family when Paul quit farming to go to graduate school in 1965. The Curtises' daughter, Debra Joyce (Curtis) Graham, was born on February 28, 1958, and they later welcomed their oldest son, Gregory Eugene Curtis, on October 12, 1959. Eleven years later, they adopted three-day-old Christopher Mark Curtis on April 12, 1970. Joyce was an active member of the community throughout her life, belonging to the Prairieview Chapter of Wednesday Club for the past fifty years, involved in 4-H leadership, and, later, one of the earliest members of the Parkland Faculty Wives Club when Paul became a college instructor. The couple were also active church members, starting with First Presbyterian Church of Champaign where she was a choir member, to Urbana Assembly of God, then Good News Fellowship, and, ultimately, Meadowbrook Community Church. When Paul and Joyce decided to get out of hog-and-grain farming and create the apple orchard and entertainment farm that bears their name, they little suspected the level of impact they would have, on both their local community and the wider East Central Illinois and greater Midwestern region. They both worked hard, pouring their love and "sweat equity" into the fledgling business, Joyce putting her meticulous financial acumen to good use. Joyce also saw a major part of her mission at Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch to be passing on knowledge to the next generation, and did so over the next three-and-a-half decades through countless tours where she would give her "bee talk" to ultimately thousands of elementaryaged kids. She also passed on her indomitable work ethic to her own children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as many employees who worked in the Curtis Orchard Bakery for her. Joyce's hard work earned Curtis Orchard a number of awards, including the Champaign County Small Business Award (2002), the Excellence in Agri-tourism Award (2012, with Paul), and, most recently, the Tourism Impact Award (2014). In their free time together, Paul and Joyce loved the arts, and could frequently be seen enjoying musicals at Krannert or the Virginia Theater. The couple also enjoyed traveling, frequently accompanied by family or friends, and over the years visited a number of states, and also embarked on several trips overseas. Joyce is survived by her husband of sixty years, Paul, of Champaign; their daughter, Debbie (Randy), also of Champaign; their sons, Greg (Ronnie), of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and Chris, of Champaign; older brother, Jim (Carol) Day, of Papillion, Nebr.; younger sister, Rachel (Don) Kessler, of Davis, Calif.; seven grandchildren, Aaron (Sarah) Graham, Rachel (Jeremy) Coventry, Carissa (Dushan) Katic, Cameron Graham, Tawnie Curtis, Juliana Graham and Colton Curtis; and seven great-grandchildren, Benjamin Graham, Mayara Graham, Sophia Katic, Felicity Katic, Ava Graham, Emmalyn Coventry and Aria Coventry. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Olin & Lucy Day; one brother, Bill, and two sisters, Betty and Gloria. Please join Joyce's family in sharing memories, photos and video of her life through her Tribute Wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.