Joyce Gaffney

Madison-Joyce Mary Gaffney (nee Wormleighton) passed away peacefully on June 21, 2016 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.

Joyce was born in Leicester, England on July 9, 1923 to William and Christina Wormleighton (nee Carlyle). Her sister, Margo was ten years older and her brother, Norman was 15 years older.

As a child, Joyce attended Bunce Court School, an independent, private boarding school in the village of Otterden, in Kent, England. The school was originally founded in Herrlingen, Germany in 1926 as Landschulheim Herrlingen.

When Hitler came to power in 1933 the founder and principal of the Bunce Court School, Anna Essinger, envisioned the horror of Nazi Germany and with the help of British Quakers, she moved the entire school, including its mostly Jewish pupils, to Bunce Court. Joyce’s brother, Norman, was a teacher there.

Beginning with a few children, it grew as other children were sent to safety by their parents, on the Kindertransports. Joyce recalled the happy days studying and playing with her German-speaking fellow students. She learned to speak German too.

Joyce’s father was the manager of a hosiery factory and after he retired, the family moved to Eastbourne in Sussex. Between 1942 and 1943, Eastbourne was the target of German 'hit and run' raiders, making it the most bombed town on the south coast of England. German Luftwaffe bombers, returning from raids on London would drop any leftover bombs on Eastbourne rather than carry them back to Germany. Joyce remembered the bombings always and could never be in a room with no windows for very long.

During the war, Joyce, her dear friend, Isabel, Isabel’s sister Marjorie and another girl decided to join the Land Army because they fancied the jodhpurs and western hats the girls wore. Isabel and Marjorie’s father worked for the U.S. Army and convinced the girls to apply for jobs with the army instead. He got them all jobs in the Chief Surgeon’s office.

While working there, Joyce met Phillip Gaffney, a U.S. Army Master Sergeant and they fell in love. Phil was transferred to Paris with the army, but on November 25, 1944 he flew back to London and he and Joyce were married. Joyce joined Phil in Paris where they shared an apartment in Versailles. The apartment featured a bathtub in the kitchen. They spent many fun days canoeing on the Seine.

From Paris, Phil was transferred to Germany where he and Joyce lived. After the war, as the U.S. occupied Germany, Joyce recalls taking a ride up and down the Rhine River with Phil, her friend Isabel and her husband on Hitler’s yacht which had been commandeered by the U.S. army.

After he was discharged from the Army, Phil remained in England with Joyce until her name came up in the quota of people allowed to immigrate to the United States. In 1947, they arrived in Madison.

Joyce maintained dual citizenship in the U.S. and England.

She and Phil shared 59 happy years together until his death in December, 2003 at the age of 86. They lived in Westport on the north shore of Lake Mendota and on the west side of Madison.

Joyce worked for the Kroger company for 16 years and then at Certified Foods.

She loved to bowl, was very good at it and was invited to teach bowling at the Brunswick Hilldale Bowl.

For many years, Joyce was a member of the Hillfarm Ladies Golf League and golfed with friends at the Glenway Golf Course. She was also a member of the Middleton Garden club.

Until she was 91, Joyce would drive herself to the Middleton duck pond and walk one, two or three laps nearly every day. Her long-time friend, Trish who met Joyce while swimming in Lake Mendota, was also a good walking companion over the years.

Joyce enjoyed animals of all kinds – especially Mulligan, Figaro and Camelot Jackie O. She was a long-time contributor to the National Wildlife Federation, Dane County Humane Society and many causes which helped all creatures great and small.

Joyce is survived by her sisters-in-law, Mary Kennedy, Ellen Brannan and Jeanne Wallace. She is also survived by nephew, Julian, in Scotland and by her U.S. nieces and nephews, Maureen, Marilyn and Mick, Tom, Terry, Barbara, Patricia, John, Paul, Dan, Maryanne, Mike, Rob, Jim, Larry and John.

A private Celebration of Joyce’s Life for family and friends will be held on her 93rd birthday, July 9, 2016 at the Nakoma Country Club at 11:45.

Memorials in Joyce’s name can be made to the Dane County Humane Society, 5132 Voges Road, Madison, WI 53718, www.giveshelter.org