Joyce W.

Parker

-Joyce W Parker May 9, 1947 -August 9, 2025 - 8/9/25 Joyce died in the early hours of August 9th at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse with her husband by her side. Her sons and daughter in law were also with her that day. Although she had a long illness, the cause of death was unrelated and sudden. Joyce was born in Southampton Hospital on May 9th , 1947. Her parents were Samuel Wikander and Winifred Yardley. Her grandfather Fred Yardley founded the Yardley Funeral Home. Her father, mother and uncle Ken Yardley founded and ran Yardley Florist in Sag Harbor for many years. Joyce grew up in a community where at the time relatives owned and lived in all of the houses. Her house was right next to her grandmother's house. She spent time with her uncles and cousins. Her great uncle Charlie Shaw lived across the road and he had horses. Joyce loved the horses especially her horse Cochise, which she rode in the field next to his house ( part of Havens Beach ), on the beach and at times even around the village. So if you remember a girl riding a horse around Sag Harbor in the late 50s to early 60s, that was Joyce. In addition to the horses Joyce had several dogs, her favorite was a Cheesapeake Bay Retriever named Judy, and even a pet rabit. Joyce attended Pierson from kindergarten through HS in the class of '65, the largest class at Pierson at that time. Through the time of her death she kept in touch with many of her classmates who remained her best friends and she was involved in planning numerous reunions. After Pierson HS, Joyce went to college at Texas Christian University near Dallas. Summers she worked at Party Decorators on Jobs Lane in Southampton, which opened up a whole world of the rich and famous, and she had many stories of celebrities that she met. In 1977 she was asked to go back to work for Party Decorators one last time - to be in charge of decorating the ball room at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC for the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter. After her work was done the attended the ball with her husband. Following college she earned her Masters in Education at Syracuse University, the college her father had graduated from. There she rekindled a friendship with John Parker who she had known from Sag Harbor, and who was attending Syracuse Law School. They were married in 1972 in Skaneateles, NY in a small ceremony with friends. Joyce taught in the Cleveland and Skaneateles school districts from 1972 until 1979 when her first child, Brian Yardley Parker was born on March 17th . For the next decade her priority was taking care of Brian and Bradley Shaw Parker, born July 17th , 1982, as well as the family cats and dogs, while continuing her work in politics and the community. The family spent as much of summer vacations as possible in Sag Harbor, including a lot of time with her boys playing at Sag Main ocean beach where their uncle was one of the lifeguards. In the 1990s she became a real estate agent in Syracuse and sold houses for several years. For more than 40 years Joyce was active in community organizations and the Democratic Party in Syracuse. She was a member of the 19th Ward Committee served as its Vice Chair as well and worked for the County Committee. She campaigned for and with numerous candidates for local and statewide offices. In 1998 she was honored for her work by being chosen as City Democrat of the Year. That same year she worked for State Assemblyman Bill Magnorelli in his Syracuse Office. In 1999 she became Deputy Syracuse City Clerk, where she was also the clerk of the Common Council, and continued there for 15 years full time and another 5 part time, a job that she enjoyed and which put her in the center of governmental activity in the City. In 1994 she and her husband fulfilled a lifelong dream by building their own house in Sag Harbor, on the water in front of the house where she grew up, and only a few yards from where they met. For many years they split time between Syracuse and Sag Harbor, and it was at the house on the beach where the family got together for all holidays and vacations. She loved giving parties there on the deck overlooking the bay with family and friends. They went on numerous small boat trips, which ranged from the Shinnicock Canal to Montauk Point and over to Mystic CT, usually in their Boston Whaler. They spent most summer evenings watching the sunset from their deck - usually with a glass of wine. The last sunset was on July 21st , two days after they received the great news that they had a grandson, Charles Raj Parker, born July 19th in Charleston South Carolina. Although she never saw little Charlie in person, she enjoyed several FaceTime calls with him and saw many photos. The first week of August they were planning to return to Sag Harbor, but instead ended up in Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, the same Hospital where her sons had been born. Her 6th floor room, where the family gathered, overlooked the area where she and her husband had gone to graduate schools at Syracuse University. She died peacefully in her sleep with him at her side. They had been together for over 54 years. She is survived by her husband, John Parker of Sag Harbor and Syracuse, NY, her son Brian Y Parker and his wife Meghan S Parker, of Albany, NY, her son Bradley S Parker and his wife Shamila R Parker and grandson, Charles R Parker, of Charleston, SC.