Joyce Ann Payton

***DUE TO THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCES AND LIMITATIONS SURROUNDING COVID-19, PLEASE HONOR JOYCE PAYTON BY VIEWING AND SHARING THIS VIRTUAL TRIBUTE. PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK AND VISIT OFTEN. *** JOYCE WAS BORN TO JESSE AND BERTHA PAYTON ON AUGUST 15, 1955 IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN DURING A TIME WHEN BLACK WOMEN STRUGGLED FOR INDEPENDENCE, EDUCATION AND EQUALITY. JOYCE WOULD LATER USE HER VOICE TO BECOME AN ADVOCATE FOR UNDER-EDUCATED MINORITIES. JOYCE MOVED FROM DETROIT TO CHICAGO IN 1979 WITH HER HUSBAND AND HER TWO CHILDREN, AARON AND JACKIE. HER CATHOLIC BACKGROUND HELPED GUIDE HER TO HOLY ANGELS CATHOLIC PARISH, WHERE SHE WOULD BECOME AN ACTIVE MEMBER. AFTER LEARNING SHE COULD MAKE MORE OF A DIFFERENCE HAVING AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE, JOYCE BECAME THE DIRECTOR OF A SCHOOL IN LAKE MEADOWS BUT STILL FELT MORE COULD BE ACHIEVED. JOYCE GREW IMPATIENT WITH SLOW MOVING CHANGES SHE’D WITNESSED AND INFLUENCED WITH HER STUDENTS AND STAFF. JOYCE WAS AN EDUCATOR FOR YEARS BUT OPTED TO SHIFT CAREERS IN THE LATE 1980S. IN THE 1980’S, VICTORIA WAS BORN, JOYCE MET HER LIFE PARTNER, BASIL BRATHWAITE, AND BEGAN WORKING AT LOU MALNATI’S PIZZERIA. IT WAS LIFE CHANGING, TO SAY THE LEAST. THE RELATIONSHIPS MADE WHILE WORKING AT MALNATI’S WOULD BE LIFELONG RELATIONSHIPS! HUSBAND: BASIL DELANO BRATHWAITE SIBLINGS: JESSE “LARRY” PAYTON – SPOUSE – CAROLYN PAYTON RONDELL PAYTON – SPOUSE – DENICE PAYTON TYRONE PAYTON ALTHEA PAYTON JOSEPH PAYTON – SPOUSE – LENA PAYTON CHILDREN: GERALD AARON SCOTT, JR JACQUELINE SECRET VICTORIA SCOTT GRANDCHILDREN: DEDRICK TONSING GERON SCOTT ANAYA SECRET ANGELA SCOTT STEPCHILDREN: CHEZERE BRATHWAITE WAYNE BRATHWAITE PHILLIP BRATHWAITE BRIAN BRATHWAITE OTHER CHILDREN: STEVEN COTTON SHARQUITA HOLMES LETICIA ELLIS SHERRI GIBBS KESHA TRIPLETT ELSTON HILL JOYCE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND A HOST OF NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND OTHER LOVED ONES. JOYCE LOVED TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE, TEACH, READ, TRAVEL AND MOST OF ALL, SHARE TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS! WE HONOR JOYCE AND REMEMBER HER STRENGTH, FAITHFULNESS, GENEROSITY AND FEARLESSNESS AS A MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, SISTER, AUNTIE, MANAGER, COLLEAGUE, TEACHER, MENTOR AND CHRISTIAN. AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS OF STAGE FOUR PANCREATIC CANCER THAT HAD ALREADY SPREAD TO HER LIVER, ON OCTOBER 25, 2019, MOM MADE THE DECISION TO FIGHT. WE RALLIED WITH HER AND ASKED FOR SUPPORT FROM ALL OF YOU. FAMILY AND FRIENDS HELPED SUPPORT MOM’S THERAPY, PRAYED FOR/WITH US, CALLED, TEXT MESSAGED, SENT FOOD, GAVE US RIDES AND THE LIKE. WE DEFINITELY FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT. JOYCE WENT HOME TO JESUS ON THE EARLY MONDAY MORNING ON APRIL 20, 2020 AT THE AGE OF 64. SPECIAL THANKS TO MARC MALNATI AND THE MALNATI FAMILY, SHERRI GIBBS, KESHA TRIPLETT, STEVEN COTTON, ROSIE PEARSON AND THE PEARSON FAMILY, JANIE MANDAKAS, DENNIS D’ANGELO AND THE D’ANGELO FAMILY, MIKE SCHRAGER, KAIA GRABBE, JOSH WRIGHT AND THE WRIGHT FAMILY AND SO MANY OTHERS. THANK YOU FOR HONORING JOYCE TODAY AND EVERYDAY. PLEASE SHARE A MEMORY OR TWO IN THE GUESTBOOK. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE NATIONAL MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: 8403 COLESVILLE ROAD, SUITE 820, SILVER SPRING , MARYLAND 20910 (202)347-1895 https://www.nmanet.org/donations/donate.asp?id=13406

Joyce Ann Payton

August 15, 1955 - April 20, 2020