A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Joyce Marie (Norton) Williams, 65, of Newark, will be held at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 10:30 A.M., Friday, January 22, 2021, with Fr. Anthony Lonzo as celebrant and Fr. Jonathan Wilson as concelebrant.  Interment will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.

Joyce, a parishioner of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, died at Licking Memorial Hospital on Sunday, January 17, 2021.  She was born in Newark, Ohio on December 15, 1955, to Rita (Klass) Norton, of Newark, and the late Delmer E. Norton.

A 1974 graduate of Licking Valley High School, Joyce retired in 2013 from the Learning and Development Department of State Farm Insurance.

Joyce was a kind woman led by her Catholic faith.  She greeted all with a warm smile that was always genuine and sincere. The devotion Joyce held for her family and her faith were evident in her daily tasks.  Whether she be attending a sporting event of her grandchildren, volunteering in the school cafeteria, or holding that first spot in the afterschool pick-up line, Joyce's enthusiasm for her family could not be missed.  She was a doting aunt, caring for her nieces and nephew afterschool when they were young, showing them love and affection as if they were her own.  She loved attending Newark Catholic basketball games, the many bonfires and tailgates, (rooting for The Buckeyes and the Browns) and being surrounded by those she cherished most, her family.  When things got too hectic, Joyce took joy in joining her husband for a motorcycle ride, taking in the beauty and serenity of the outdoors.

She will be greatly missed by those she leaves behind. In addition to her mother, Joyce is survived by her husband of 40 years, Gary Williams; daughters, Amanda (Mike) Betts and Amy (James) Cox; siblings, Dale (Deb) Norton, Diane (George) Layton, and Sandra Norton; 7 grandchildren, Aidan, Brooke, Harper, Jackson, Leah, Landon, and Layton; several nieces and nephews; and her husband's siblings, Terry (Rayna) Williams, Sharon Stockton, Margaret (Randal) Atkinson, and Melissa (Kerry) Banks.

In addition to her father, Joyce was preceded in death by her niece, Kayla Marie Layton; and brother-in-law, John Williams.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in memory of Joyce be made to the Blessed Sacrament School Tuition Reduction Fund, 394 East Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055.

Calling hours will be held privately for Joyce's family at REED-EGAN FUNERAL HOME, 141 Green Wave Drive, Newark.  Cards and expressions of sympathy will be accepted by the funeral home, and online condolences or memories of Joyce can be shared by visiting: www.reedegan.com.  The funeral Mass will be livestreamed, and can be accessed through the Church of the Blessed Sacrament website: www.blsac.net