Joyce Marilyn Vedder

Joyce Marilyn Vedder (née Barber), age 82, of Yuma, Arizona, died at her home on June 29, 2018. She was born January 12, 1936 in Albany, NY, to Loren and Harriet (Peterson) Barber. She graduated from Berne Knox High School and earned a B.A. from Hope College in Michigan. Joyce also received her M.A.Ed. at the University at Albany-Suny, NY and pursued additional coursework throughout her career. On May 24, 1961, she married Charles "Chuck" Garry Vedder in Schenectady, NY. They celebrated 53 years of marriage until his death September 29, 2014. Joyce taught mathematics to middle school students in Schalmont Central School District in Schenectady, NY for 33 years. Teaching was truly Joyce's main love and passion. She enjoyed sharing many positive stories about her students and valued her friendships with her teaching colleagues. Taking after her beloved father Loren, Joyce was also passionate about learning new farming techniques and loved growing fresh vegetables and flowers in her garden. For decades, Joyce and Chuck would travel cross-country from Schenectady to Arizona to go rock hounding, eventually leading up to her formal retirement to Yuma, Arizona in 1991. Their home was filled with all the beautiful gems they had collected over the years. Being avid rock hounds and enthusiastic geology hobbyists, the couple traveled extensively throughout North America seeking interesting rocks, gems, minerals and fossils. They were very active in geology clubs in the Capital District Area (Albany, NY) as well as in Arizona. Joyce also loved traveling in their motorhome yearly from Yuma, Arizona to Maine and having their favorite lobster meal. Joyce is predeceased by her sister and brother-in-law, Jean (Barber) and Edward Marks, Rome, NY; survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Loren and Mary Barber, Lake Elmo, Minnesota; one niece and her husband, Gail and Titu Ahmed, N. Smithfield, RI; two nephews and their spouses, Glen and Victoria Marks, Montoursville, PA, and Gary Marks and Neal Barnhill, Jacksonville, FL; as well as two grandnieces, three grandnephews and one great grandniece. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. November 30, 2018 at Bond Funeral Home, 1614 Guilderland Ave, Schenectady, NY.