WESTFIEDLD: Joyce Marie (Garman) Zippe, 83, (1932-2016) long-time resident and elementary school teacher in Southwick, MA, passed peacefully into the arms of her loving Savior Jesus Christ on Monday morning April 25, 2016, surrounded by her loving family. Joyce was born on May 29, 1932, daughter of Carmen (Schmidt) Garman and Luther Garman in Reading, PA. After attending college in Kutztown, PA, she married her beloved Kurt S. Zippe of Smyrna, DE. They relocated to Southwick, MA where they built a home and started a family until Kurt’s death in 1966. She remained a widow for 50 years. After his death, she continued her life’s work in education, shaping young lives for the next 25+ years. She completed her Master’s Degree in Education from Westfield State University and continued to teach in Woodland School before retiring in 1995.
She loved and served Jesus at the Westfield Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Westfield for over forty years. Her passions included world traveling, theatre, bible study, vacations at the beach, attending retired teacher luncheons, and spending time with her family. She was a life-long learner.
Joyce leaves her daughters, Diane (Zippe) Hodges of Westfield, MA and her husband Scott, Cheryl (Zippe) Sitler of Southwick, MA and her husband Glenn, her son Kent S. Zippe of Los Gatos, CA and his partner Ally Sugar, ten grandchildren — Sarah (Hodges) Westcott, Gail (Hodges) Brown, Seth Hodges, Joshua Sitler, Matthew Sitler, Zachary Hodges, Hannah Sitler, Anne Hodges, Abigail Hodges, and Petrona Lopez Hodges and seven great-grandchildren — Arianna Westcott, John Westcott V, Isabella Westcott, Julia Brown, William Brown V, Levi Hodges, John Lopez Hodges. She is survived by her beloved “sister” Janice Garman, Edwin Zippe and Robert Daniel.
A memorial service to honor Joyce’s life will be held on Sunday May 29, 2016 at the Westfield Evangelical Free Church in Westfield, MA starting at 3:00 p.m. – all are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage you to donate to Southwick Dollars for Scholars by mailing a check to Southwick Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 838, Southwick, MA 01077 or donating online at www.southwick.dollarsforscholars.org. Please put “In Memory of Joyce Zippe” on your check or as a note online.
