Obituary of Joyce B. Musumano

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Joyce Brophy Musumano on January 2, 2022.  Joyce was surrounded by her devoted husband Gregory L Musumano and their three children, Kevin, Kristopher, and Jen when her beautiful spirit left her body.

 

Joyce was born in Bristol to very humble beginnings on March 10, 1939 to her parents Claire E. (Galway) Brophy and Joseph R. Brophy.  At the age of 12, Joyce got her first job at Redman’s Dairy where she worked as an ice cream scooper.  With the money she earned, young Joyce would purchase high-quality stainless-steel cookware in preparation for her life as a gifted homemaker- a role in which she took great pride. Her family is still cooking her recipes with these pots and pans.  Janet Redman remained her good friend for life.   Joyce graduated from Bristol High School in 1957, where she excelled as a cheerleader and was dubbed “cute as a button” in her yearbook “The Torch”. Joyce said “I Do” to the love of her life, Gregory, on April 15, 1961 after several years of dating.

 

As the story goes, while driving in downtown Bristol with his mother Julia, Greg saw Joyce walking on the sidewalk and said, “I’m going to marry that girl”. It was the era of Camelot. Joyce wore a lavender bouclé suit with a pillbox hat and gave a certain First Lady a run for her money.   They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in April 2021.In 1964 Joyce gave birth to twin boys, Kevin and Kristopher. Twins were a surprise to even her doctor. Eighteen months later, Joyce and Greg were blessed with their third child, daughter Jennifer.

Joyce’s mother Claire would provide an additional shoulder to burp on. Together they cooked incredible meals and made the kitchen the festive heart of the home.   As a mother, Joyce gave her children every opportunity unavailable to her as a child.  She made their worlds magical and wonderful, encouraging them to “Follow Their Bliss!”.  Her door was always open to family and friends - and all the kids' friends too! Joyce loved having a full house.

 

 As a student at Immanuel Lutheran Elementary School, Joyce loved Bible stories. She carried them with her in her heart, their messages guiding her life. As she matured, her interest in spirituality grew and evolved. While she aspired to become more Christ-like, she studied mysticism and pursued a direct relationship with God that was personal and discrete. She was fascinated by the cosmos and spent many evenings on Chippens' Hill gazing at celestial bodies with her prized telescope, her husband and happy kids. She was both student and teacher, practicing Astrology and reading charts for family and friends who like Joyce were searching for meaning in life.

 

  Family reunions on Cape Cod were memorable and joyful events. Joyce’s fun-loving aunties, uncles and cousins could have been a family Vaudeville act- egging one another on with laughter and antics.  Joyce, Greg, and their kids spent weekends in New York City visiting museums and attending Broadway shows, experiencing the opulence of Radio City Christmas Spectaculars, ascending the 356 steps to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, and enjoying carriage rides in Central Park.  Joyce explored her love of science and religion, sharing it with her family through travel. She brought her family to climb the Pyramid of Kukulcán and gaze at the stars under the dome of the Mayan Observatory in Chichén Itza, Mexico. Egypt was a lifelong passion. Joyce and Greg sailed the Nile visiting the archeological sites from Abu Simbel to Giza. It was her most cherished adventure.  In addition to her loving and large family, Joyce is survived by her best friends in life and  partners in lacey-collared crime, Maureen Parker and Keatha McCue.

 

 The family would like to thank the wonderful caregivers at Beth Israel Lahey Hospice at Home for the love and care they generously gave Joyce and the entire family. In particular they would like to thank Ruth and Nanci for their dedication, expertise, sense of humor, and their GIANT ENORMOUS HEARTS.  Joyce will be remembered as an unconditionally loving person, a devoted wife, an extraordinary mother, a loyal friend, and a maker of magic to all who were blessed to know her.  A celebration of Joyce’s Life will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at St Joseph’s Cemetery in Bristol, Ct.  

 

In lieu of flowers, a donation in honor of Joyce B. Musumano may be made to World Central Kitchen: donate.wck.org