Joyce E. Loomis
Joyce E. Loomis, 80, of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away Monday, Aug. 30, 2021 from a courageous battle with cancer.
Joyce was born March 6, 1941, in rural Prairie du Chien, to John and Irene Olsen Fishler, the third of nine children. At age 3, the family moved into Prairie du Chien. Joyce attended St. Gabriels’ School and graduated from Prairie High School 1959. Joyce moved to Dubuque Iowa after graduation, attended Bayless Business College, worked at Mercy Hospital as a Nurse’s Aide, and a stenographer at Farley & Loetscher in Dubuque. On Dec. 3, 1960, Joyce married Garry Mearl Redman at St. Gabriel Church. On Jan 2, 1961, Garry passed away from complications due to a car accident. Their son Garry John was born May 10, 1961. Joyce later married Harold Joseph Loomis Sr. on April 28, 1962. Four more children were born, Sue, Tim, Mike and Harold Jr. Harold Sr. passed away Nov. 8, 2007. Joyce was past president at UAW Local 94 Auxiliary #344, Secretary for VFW Auxiliary #508, volunteered at Holy Spirit Funeral dinners, and member of the Holy Spirit Rosary Society. Harold and Joyce traveled coast to coast. They visited their children along with other extended family members. After 2007, Joyce and her sisters, Rose and Linda, enjoyed visiting their brothers & sisters around the country over the next 10 years. When Joyce could not drive long distances, her and her sister Rose enjoyed taking Am Track to visit family and friends.
Joyce is survived by her children, Garry (Julie) Redman, Sue (Mike) Polkinghorn, Mike (Lisa) Loomis, and Tim Loomis, all of Dubuque, and Harold Jr. (Donna) Loomis of Ferndale, WA; 15 grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild (in December 2021); two sisters, Rose Weis of Dubuque and Linda Stuessy of Oklahoma; five brothers, Francis (Darlene) Fishler of Illinois, Donald (Natalia) Fishler of Arizona, Ronald Fishler of Tennessee, Bob (Cindy) Fishler of Wisconsin, and Jim (Penny) Fishler of Wisconsin; and in-laws, Larry and Mary Huff, Jan Eilders, Sharon and Steve Osbon, and Mary Ann Redman.
Besides her two husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Shirley McDonald, one grandson, DJ Peterson, one nephew, John Fishler, and in-laws: Mary Ann and Clifford Pettit, Louie Weis, Harold McDonald, Steve Stuessy, Mary Fishler, Ann Fishler, Dick Eilders, Bill and Carol Palmer, David Redman, and Bob Robbins.
Visitation will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, at Hoffmann Schneider and Kitchen Funeral Home and Crematory, where a prayer service will be held at 5 p.m. followed by visitation until 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial for Joyce will be 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, at Holy Spirit Parish - Holy Ghost Catholic Church with Father Steven Garner as the Celebrant. Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque. The mass will be live streamed on Hoffmann Schneider and Kitchen Funeral Home’s Facebook page and will also be available to view later at www.hskfhcares.com.
The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Hospice of Dubuque, Drs. Jill Powers, Mark Hermann, Tony Heir, Holy Spirit Parish Family, and all their staffs for their attentive, loving care.
