Obituary of Joyce Ann Kelly

The beautiful, joyous spirit of Joyce Ann Kelly of Morris Plains, NJ, moved on, into the next life, February 28th, 2011, after her courageous battle with a long illness. As a child, Joyce performed the Elephant Trot with her younger sister, for Richard M. Nixon, when he visited Morristown on his first Vice Presidential campaign. A member of West Morris Regional High School's first graduating class in 1960, Joyce was also that school's first prom queen. As a young, gifted singer and artist, Joyce sang soprano at Carnegie Hall with the Masterworks Choir and earned a BFA degree in Illustration from Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, Newark, NJ. Upon graduation, she was offered a position by Glamour Magazine as fashion illustrator but started a family, instead, raising her three children in Morris Plains and later working as an office staff member at area companies, including Channel, Prudential, and Aetna. Joyce is survived by her loving husband, John Kelly III of Morris Plains, mother, Dolores Colwell, and sister, Virginia Kilpatrick, both of Mendham, two daughters, Lisa Whitesell of Blairstown and Valerie Sylvester of Mendham, one son, Thor Gustafson of Lake Hopatcong, nine grandchildren, Jessica and Richard Whitesell, Ashley, Tyler, Matt, Olivia, and Carley Sylvester, Lars and Devin Gustafson, and great-grandson, Juventino Whitesell-Torres. These and other family members and friends will deeply miss her until we see her again. Visitation Thursday, March 3, 2011, 7 - 9 P.M. at Tuttle Funeral Home, 272 State Route 10 West, Randolph (www.tuttlefh.com). Funeral Services will be Friday, March 4th, 2011, 11:00 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Holy Rood Cemetery, Morristown.