It is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful and recent passing of Joyce Katharine Aylward (nee Easton) in her 98th year at St Peter’s Hospital, Hamilton on May 22nd, 2025. After a heroic battle with cancer during the past year, Joyce slipped away with her family by her side. Loving wife of husband Harry (1921-2014) for 66 years. Joyce is survived by her three children Katharine, Gary and Barbara as well as grandchildren Chelsea, Thaddeus, Samantha (2009) and Renee.
Joyce was born in Winnipeg in 1927 during the tumultuous years between the World Wars. Surviving those times instilled a strong will to survive as well as the passion to live a full and rich life with limited resources. During the unstable years of WW2, Joyce contributed to the mass war effort building aircraft radios at Aerovox in Hamilton. Following the war, she married Harry, and they began a new chapter in their lives together in Hamilton’s east end.
After settling into married life, they proceeded to build their house as well as their family. Joyce’s talent for design and sewing found her as a valued costumer for the Hamilton Theatre Company and Dorothy Hurst’s Dance Studio and was responsible for sewing many iconic costumes for classic musical theatre. As well during those years, she attended Mohawk College and upon graduation, continued at the Saltfleet Campus as an executive secretary for many years. After retiring, she took up painting and became an excellent water-colourist as well as continuing to actively design and sew when opportunities arose. Joyce loved to travel, be it camping in the tent trailer that she and Harry designed and built, lazy weekends with family at their Georgian Bay cottage or flying off to different destinations to explore and experience new countries.
Joyce and Harry were both active members of St Columba Presbyterian Church during which time she designed and constructed numerous banners and projects for the church. Joyce was a passionate and devout Presbyterian throughout her adult life, singing in choirs as well as taking an active roll in church affairs and banquets.
Later years found them settling in Dundas where they continued to live full and rich lives while making new friends, singing in choirs and artfully spending their days together.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the hardworking and sensitive staff at Juravinski Hospital, McMaster Hospital, as well as St Peters during her final days. Enough cannot be said of their tireless efforts in the face of the challenges that our hospitals experience daily.
A celebration of life will take place during the coming year. Time and location to be forthcoming.