Joyce Elizabeth Robinson

Joyce Elizabeth Robinson (Shiely), aged 96, passed into the Arms of Jesus on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Merced, CA.  She was born on Friday, January 18, 1929, in Albion, PA to Gerald Marshall Shiely (1908 - 1987) and Dorothy Mae Loftus Shiely (1908 - 2007).

Joyce graduated from Albion High School and started college in Cleveland, Ohio to earn her teaching degree in Home Economics.  Her education was put on hold when she married her first husband Robert Randall.  Joyce gave birth to two children, Gerald (Gerry) Edward Randall (born 1951) and JoAnne Randall (born 1955).  When this marriage ended in divorce in 1963, her parents supported her in completing her teaching degree at Fresno State College.  She started teaching at Merced High School's North Campus and was the first certified Family Life Education teacher to high school senior girls.

In 1967 Joyce married Stanley (Stan) Leon Robinson (1933 - 2002), and he adopted Gerry and JoAnne.  Stan had six children with a previous marriage, so you could say it was a blended family although not everyone lived together.

After marrying Stan, the family moved to the Bay Area for several years and Joyce continued her teaching.  She took an early retirement and she and Stan moved to Kansas in 1983.  In 1997, they returned to CA in Atwater.  After Stan passed, Joyce moved back to Merced and lived with her mother until Dorothy passed in 2007.  Joyce had many family gatherings in her home over the years and lots of wonderful memories were made there.

Joyce became a member of New Life Community Church after attending for several years.  She and Carolyn Stimpson would host the fellowship following the services.

Joyce is survived by her son Gerry (Karen) Robinson and daughter JoAnne Lauerman as well as Stan's children Terry (Richard) Moore, Sherry (Robert) Prevost, Robin Hoberek and Elliott (Larry) Robinson.  She has twenty grandchildren:  Keevan Robinson, Ian Robinson, Jaymes (Cathleen) Robinson, Heather Lauerman and Amelia Lauerman (Sean Covert) and fifteen more from Stan’s children.  She leaves behind many great grandchildren.  

A celebration of life will be held at Atwater New Life Community Church, on Saturday, June 7th, 2025 at 11:00 am.

Below is the address.

2124 1st St., Atwater, CA. 95301

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