Norma Joyce Gilbert Watson passed peacefully at her home on December 23,2023, after battling Alzheimer’s since 2010. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm, Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at Lincoln Baptist Church with burial in Lincoln Cemetery. Randy Howell will officiate the service. Joyce’s family will receive friends from 1:00pm-2:00pm at the church on Wednesday.

She was born in Alabama on April 18, 1946, almost in an elevator but at the last moment made her appearance in a room beside the elevator, to proud parents Leonard and Joy Gilbert. She graduated from Hueytown High school and attended 4 years at JSU. She moved to Lincoln Alabama in 1973 where she made her home.

Joyce is preceded in death by her parents and leaves behind two children David G Watson, (Azumi Watson) and Jessica W. Laffosse (Michael Laffosse) and 2 stepchildren Lewis Watson (Alyson Watson) and Samantha Bluhm (Patrick Bluhm) and 11 grandchildren, Jacob Brown (Amber), Shaley Watson (Malone), Drew Watson, Addie Ruth, Ruby, and Trey Bluhm; Aiden and Maya Watson; Jaxon, Jace, and Caden Laffosse, great-grandchildren Payton Grace Brown, Abbie Joel Brown, Lyra Alyson Watson-Brown and a great-granddaughter on the way.

Joyce loved the Good Lord and served as a Sunday school teacher at Lincoln Baptist church for many years which she loved more than any other job she had. She was relentlessly joyful, endlessly loving and never lost her faith in Christ even as she fought her disease. She loved to camp and travel and often took full van loads of children to the Smokey Mountains and Florida beaches for the most memorable trips full of laughter and fun. Her love of life was intoxicating to all that knew her. She had unconditional love for everyone she met and her smooth southern accent and way with words often brought so much joy to everyone that was lucky enough to know her. She never let anyone do without and was often thinking of ways she could help bring joy to someone or make life easier for those around her. She often has been referred to as an angel here on earth to which if she could and would humbly say no, but it was true.

If you were to ask her children how she was they would tell you her love and forgiveness matched exactly what Christ taught, the true definition of unconditional love. It did not matter where in the world you were. She made sure you could feel her love anywhere around the globe and in the darkest of places. Her love was not a word or a feeling but a constant presence in our life.

She loved animals, dancing, music, horseback riding, shopping, and trying new types of food. Her love of traveling took her to Egypt, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Tibet, and India to name a few. She was so intelligent and often insightful with a keen intuition which allowed her to navigate life with grace and discernment. While words cannot fully capture the essence of Joyce, she lived her life believing it was precious and knew how to find the joy even In the simplest of things and most ordinary and unexpected of places.

Serving as pallbearers will be Mark and Matthew Alldredge, Darren and Luke Britton, Michael Laffosse, Josh Vincent.

Usrey Funeral home in Talladega will direct services.