Joyce Margaret Lockley
25th June 1933 – 19th November 2011

On Thursday 1st of December, 2011, the family, relations, friends and acquaintances of Joyce Lockley packed into St Mary’s Church, Rolleston to celebrate her life and to say their final good-by.

Joyce Margaret Goodwin was born in Leyton in the East End of London on 25th June 1933. She had one brother, Maurice, seven years older.

At the beginning of the Second World War, seeking safety from air raids, her family moved to Gidea Park, near Romford in Essex. After a bomb fell in the road just outside Joyce’s bedroom window the family had to live with relatives until repair work was carried out.

In spite of interrupted school days Joyce did well at school going first to Romford County High school and then to London University, where she trained as a teacher. Her first appointment was to a school in a very tough area in Dagenham.

Joyce first met Bob Lockley at a Methodist Guild Holidays Guest House, where Joyce had a holiday job. Their relationship flourished and in July 1957 they were married. Their first son Andrew was born in 1959. The next year the family moved to Burton upon Trent, where Bob was appointed Deputy Librarian. Their daughter Jean was born in 1962 and a second son Peter followed in 1966.

Joyce obtained a teaching position at Rolleston Primary School. She loved teaching and, long after they had left school, ex-pupils often greeted her with great affection.

Very sadly, Joyce began to suffer with speech difficulties and muscle weakness and this caused her to have to give up teaching. The illness was diagnosed as myasthenia gravis and this led to a major surgical operation. Subsequent to this, medication did improved Joyce’s health and she was able to return to a near normal life, however, she was told not to try and do too much – something she found very difficult to do.

Joyce took up piano teaching after school hours and she threw herself into church work at Rolleston Methodist Chapel and throughout the Burton Circuit. She led the Sunday School with a choir and even a small band. It seems strange today to remember that at that time, Rolleston Methodist Chapel had seventy children on role and several teachers: today, sadly, there is no Sunday School!

As a result of her great interest in local history, particularly Methodism in Rolleston, and the circuit, Joyce collected information from various sources and eventually arranged this into a history of Rolleston Chapel. Exploiting her skills as a musician, Joyce played the organ at the Chapel on Sunday mornings. She also preached in Chapels around the Circuit on some Sunday Evenings and even formed and participated in the Circuit Drama Group.

Joyce was an enthusiastic participant in many Rolleston groups. In addition to helping out at the Rolleston Primary School she continued to teach the piano, sing with Rolleston Choral Society and conduct the Rolleston WI choir (which she also had founded). Her love and sympathy for all kinds of people, founded in her love of Jesus, brought her love in return: she will be very sadly missed but her memory will live on, with love and affection, in those fortunate to have known her.

Ken Green.
(Rollestonian Article: Spring 2012)

Joyce’s regular, simple and timely contributions to the Methodist Church page of Rollestonian were appreciated by many readers and will be missed. – Ed.

Return to Home Page or Memory Lane

Last updated: 10 April 2012