Joyce Marie Corbett West, who generously shared her infectious spirit and her wide range of talents with her communities in Washington, D.C. and Marion, died peacefully in Marion on June 2 surrounded by her loving family. She was 85.

Joyce lived a fun and meaningful life. She was kind, smart and generous, with a lovely smile, a hearty laugh and a knack for being there and helping out her family, her colleagues, her church and her community. Born on March 21, 1931 in tiny Minooka, Pennsylvania outside Scranton, Joyce was the sixth of seven children born to Mary and Martin Corbett. Her family eventually settled in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where Joyce flourished. It was there, while working for Pan American World Airways after graduating from nearby Immaculata College, that she met the love of her life, George Bruce West. Joyce and Bruce married on January 29, 1955, and they went on to spend an adventurous 60 years together before Bruce died on August 20, 2015.

In 1956, Joyce and all four of her sisters found themselves amid a remarkable situation that became permanent, and wonderful, family folklore. That was the year, right smack in the middle of the Baby Boom, that Joy, as her family called her, and her four sisters were “expecting,” in the genteel parlance of the day. The five members of the celebrated “Class of 1956” quickly became a symbol of the Corbett Clan’s rapid growth. Ultimately, they would count themselves among a staggering 35 first cousins!

While raising five children and supporting her husband as he ran a successful advertising agency, Joyce volunteered her help on the board of the Goodwill Industry of Washington, D.C. and at the various schools her children attended. She also was a docent at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. In 1974, after nearly 20 years in Washington and about a dozen sublime summers in Marion, Joyce and Bruce moved their family north year-round, the better to enjoy the bucolic nature of the “Sands of Sippican,” as Bruce titled one of his books, and to show their children a less hectic way of life. Joyce jumped right in, immersing herself deeply within Marion’s community, making friends, serving on countless boards, singing in the church choir at St. Gabriel’s, directing and teaching at The Loft School, and eventually buying and running the small town’s lone bookstore, The Bookstall.

Joyce was a Renaissance woman of heart and mind. She loved the land and the water, so she served on the board of the Sippican Lands Trust for 15 years and on the Marion Conservation Committee for 10 years. She loved gardening, so for about 20 years she was a member of the Marion Garden Discussion Group. Joyce was a voracious reader, so she served on the Elizabeth Taber Library Board for six years. She loved music and singing, so she sang with the Sippican Choral Society for roughly 20 years. The list of groups to which Joyce gave of her time and talents was seemingly endless: the Marion Visiting Nurse’s Association Board for six years, the Sippican Historical Society for five years, and the Marion Foundation, where she was one of the original employees, focusing on membership and events.

Throughout it all, Joyce was most passionate about her family and friends, and she loved nothing so much as big family gatherings, spending time with her many pals and traveling with family and friends here, there and everywhere. She adored her beloved Bruce, their five children, seven grandchildren, one great granddaughter, her four sisters and two brothers, and all of her many nieces and nephews.

Survivors include four sons, George Bruce West III and his wife, Jeanie, of Peterborough, New Hampshire; Mark Corbett West and his wife, Cyndy, of Nottingham, New Hampshire; Jonathan Braitmayer West and his wife, Cassy, of Mattapoisett; Charles Krug West and his wife, Liz, of Rochester; and a daughter, Margaret Wendy West and her wife, Rebecca Leeman, of Portland, Maine. Joyce also leaves seven grandchildren, Ian Derrick West, Taylor Graham West, Robert Braitmayer West, Reilly Evans West, Madeleine Jarvis West, Connor Martin West and Georgia Catherine West, and a great granddaughter, Violet Elizabeth West. Joyce Corbett West also is survived by three sisters, Gladys Corbett Quinn, Rita Corbett Jeffers and Dorothea Corbett McIntyre, one brother, William Martin Corbett, and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, Joyce also was predeceased by a brother, Francis Joseph Corbett, and a sister, Lucille Corbett Daly.

The West family warmly invites you to join in celebrating Joyce's life on Saturday afternoon, July 23, at two o’clock at St. Gabriel's Church in Marion. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Sippican Lands Trust, 354 Front Street, Marion, Massachusetts, 02738. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.