FROM THE URC REGISTERS
Cremations at Breakspear Crematorium
Dec. 15th Joyce K.Wolff, aged 77 (followed by Service of Thanksgiving for her Life at the URC)
19th John Philip (Phil) Tate, aged 83
JOYCE WOLFF 1928 - 2005
Joyce Wolff died on Saturday, 3rd December in Hillingdon Hospital. On Thursday, December 15th a brief service of committal in the West Chapel at Breakspear Crematorium was followed by a Thanksgiving Service for Joyce at Ickenham URC.
Born as Joyce Hider in Stockwell, South London, Joyce was the middle one of three sisters. When war broke out the family was living in Sidcup in what became known as 'Bomb Alley' - Nazi bombers who'd failed to find their target had a habit of shedding their bombs randomly over places like Sidcup to conserve fuel for the flight back to Germany. It was a dangerous place to live. They relocated from Sidcup in Kent to Ruislip
Manor in 1940.
Joyce and her sisters were sent by their mother to Ickenham Congregational Church in those early war years, during the ministry of Ralph Ackroyd, travelling by train, presumably. Her initials are on a brick in the Church Hall wall that was built at that time. She won a Greater London prize for her Scripture exam results.
She went to secondary school in Harrow with older sister Marion. With school friends she attended the Young People's Fellowship at Hindes Road Congregational Church, Harrow (long since united with the Methodists
under the name Trinity Church) There she met Charles. They were married at Hindes Road in 1950.
Joyce began teaching domestic science at the old Swakeleys School before starting a family in 1952. In 1959 Joyce and her family moved to Long Lane where Joyce has lived ever since. Besides bringing up her own four children, Joyce taught in schools all round the Uxbridge area. Teaching 5 - 11 year olds, in particular, became her life's work up until two weeks before she died, aged 77. She taught for over 20 years in Hayes
at Grange Park Infants and Hayes Park Primary 1965 - 1988.
Joyce and Charles demonstrated what it means to honour the promises parents make when they have their children baptised as babies: the church, and Ickenham URC in particular, was extended family. Indeed,
their house was almost an extension of the church building, for members of the sixty-strong Young People's Group who knew they could call round anytime. Joyce was a tower of strength on the succession of YPG walking and activity holidays, helping up to forty young people organise the catering. At Junior Church, Joyce worked with all age groups teaching on Sunday Mornings, for many years preparing children for their
scripture exams on Sunday afternoons and furthermore setting aside weekday evenings for running Friday Club, KidZone etc. As an Elder of the church for years, she took her responsibilities very seriously and
took a loving pastoral interest in people.
Flower arranging was another talent that she offered generously all year round, and her particular gift was for coordinating windowsill themed displays at Harvest and numerous variations on floral gifts to be handed to the ladies in the congregation on Mothering Sunday.
Joyce's artistic outlook also manifested itself in music. Joyce's traditional annual 'Carol Sing' was first organised at Ickenham URC 30 years ago and continued in her memory this year. She was a choral singer with at least three choirs besides the Church Choir. Her last performance being with Free Church Choral Union singing in Peterborough Cathedral only 6 weeks ago. Not the easiest of things to do with what
we now know to have been two broken vertebrae.
Her diary must have been full for years, but Joyce found time for people. Members and friends at Ickenham URC look back in gratitude at a life of generosity in serving others.
Dennis Dove
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa, the ‘Rainbow Nation’ is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa. With eleven official languages South Africans share a rich and varied culture – warm hospitality, a deep sense of spirituality, music, a love of sport and the outdoors and ‘ubuntu’ – a particularly African concept focusing on respect for human dignity.
The country has enjoyed a decade of liberation, integration and healing following apartheid. However it has real problems including the spread of HIV/AIDS. There is poverty, large numbers of street children in the cities, violence, drugs and yet there is the beauty.
Perhaps you have been there! Whether you have or not, you would be welcome to join us at St Giles’ on Friday 3rd March for an interdenominational service prepared by Christian Women of South Africa. Come and join us if you can, and get a glimpse of life there and pray for the people and the issues in that country. The service will last about an hour and is part of the Women’s World Day of Prayer. Over 3 million people worldwide will be gathering to take part in a service. Come and be part of it here in Ickenham.
