Obituary of Joyce Marlyne Reevie

Joyce Marlyne Reevie (née Budge)
July 22, 1936 – April 5, 2025

With aching hearts, we share that our beloved mother, nana, great-nana, aunt, and friend, Joyce Marlyne Reevie, passed away on April 5, 2025, at the age of 88, with family by her side.

Joyce was predeceased by her parents, Peter and Henrietta Budge; as well as her siblings; Mae (Harry)Weibe, Margaret (Wilson)Nixon, Viola (Ted)Gates, Clifford Budge, Norman (Evelyn)Budge, and Muriel (Harvie)Reevie; and by several nieces and nephews who undoubtedly met her at Heaven’s gate with stories, hugs, and probably a cinnamon bun and a strong cup of tea.

She leaves behind a family she loved with every fiber of her being: her children Lloyd (Maria), Don (Joanne), Barry (Myrna), and Charlene Kenny; her cherished granddaughters Lori (Dylan), Crystal (Stan), Amber (Brady), and Ashley (Andrew); and a beautiful circle of great-grandchildren who lit up her later years. She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, extended family—and a few chosen ones whom she adopted along the way, who may not share her blood but were wrapped in her love just the same. If Joyce loved you, she made sure you knew it—often more than once, and usually with a heartfelt card or a surprise but always with a hug.

Born on July 22, 1936, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Joyce's life journey took her through Ashern, MB and Barrie, ON before bringing her home again to Winnipeg in 1989. She worked for many years in dietary and laundry services, retiring from St. Boniface Hospital in her early 60s. But “retired” never meant idle—not for Joyce.

She was a woman of quiet strength, strong will, endless compassion, and a playful spark and just a touch of stubbornness. Joyce loved to cook and bake (and insisted you have seconds), to knit gifts that warmed both body and soul, to listen to country music that told stories she already knew by heart, and to travel when she could— even if it was just a bus ride across town to see someone she loved, many trips to Calgary to visit her family and of course her beautiful trip to Hawaii. 

In retirement, she fearlessly took a seniors’ computer course—discovering not only a passion for genealogy but also a love for connecting with others online. For years, she became the unofficial family historian and the official “Facebook flower fairy,” reminding us all, with every digital bouquet, that we were seen, remembered, and deeply loved.

Joyce had a way of making the world feel gentler. She hugged like she meant it, loved without limits, and never let anyone leave her presence without feeling a little more full—of tea, of comfort, of laughter, but most importantly of love.

We are endlessly grateful to Dr. Michelle Shanks and the team at Family Care Medical for their years of kindness and compassion, and to the staff of 3 South at Grace Hospital who cared for Joyce in her final weeks.

In keeping with her wishes cremation has taken place, and a small celebration of her life will be arranged for this summer. 

If you wish to honour her memory, plant something beautiful in your garden, bring home a houseplant to admire or—better yet—post a bouquet on someone’s Facebook wall and remind them how much they mean to you just as she so often did. That was Joyce’s gift to all of us: reminding us, again and again, that love is always worth sharing.