In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joyce's memory to the Southern Hills Baptist Church of Oklahoma City missions ministry

A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held for Joyce on Saturday, July 20, 2024, 10:00am at The Chapel at Southern Hills Baptist Church, 8601 S. Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City. Burial will be at Heritage Burial Park at South Lakes adjacent to Vondel L. Smith & Sons Funeral Home.

Joyce Ann Rhodes, our incredible and cherished wife, mother, grandmother and friend made the greatest and final journey of her lifetime into the arms of her Heavenly Father on July 11, 2024 She was 77 years old.

Joyce was born on October 19, 1946, in Stockton California, the daughter of Lyle and Irene Strombom. She spent the first 18 years of her life in Stockton until she left home to attend college at the Bible Institute of Los Angles (BIOLA) in Southern California. In a chance meeting that only God could have orchestrated, Joyce met her future husband, John Rhodes, on a blind date in Fresno, California in 1967. Immediately after that first date, John told his best friend (who had arranged the date), "That's the girl I'm going to marry!" and as they say, "the rest is history". Joyce and John were married on August 26, 1967 and they spent the next 56 years together raising their family (son David and daughter Kristi) and for the first 27 years of their marriage traveling the world because of John's duties as an Air Force pilot.

The Air Force had a saying regarding Air Force officers who married supportive wives…"we got two for the price of one with this couple". John always credited Joyce equally for any career successes he achieved. Her involvement in and contributions to volunteer work on numerous Air Force base councils and organizations, orchestrator of philanthropic events, teacher's aide in schools her children attended, mentoring of younger officer's wives and so many other activities she promoted were truly legendary. After "retirement" from the Air Force, Joyce worked as an interior designer and coordinator for McSha Home Builders in Norman, Oklahoma and subsequently as one of Kohl's department store's first employees at their store in Moore, Oklahoma.

As a teenager and at a Billy Graham Crusade in California, Joyce acknowledged she was a sinner (as we all are), that she could not save herself, confessed her sins and asked Jesus Christ to come into her life, save her and become her personal Lord and Savior. This singular event assured her place in Heaven and had an immense impact on her life and service outside the Air Force environment. Service to her Lord was always of primary importance to Joyce. She was always deeply involved in her church's programs and activities at the numerous locations where her family was stationed, serving as a young children's Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School director, orchestrator and participant in Prayer Quilt ministries, and volunteer participant in virtually all church-related activities.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Joyce's memory to the Southern Hills Baptist Church of Oklahoma City missions ministry.

Joyce was a great servant to all who knew her, but none more so than to her family. Her love for her husband, their children and grandchildren was shown in the many ways she always juggled her busy outside-the-home activities and schedules to make sure they were loved, supported and cared for above all else. Her children and grandchildren gave her incredibly great joy and she was always thinking of ways to make small moments special and celebrating life's joys with them.

Joyce is survived by her husband, John of 56 years; her son Dr. David Rhodes and wife Darcy of Edmond, Oklahoma; son-in-law Daren Cole of Lebanon, Missouri; sister Joan Cooper of Bakersfield, California; brother Bruce Strombom and wife Terry of Long Beach, California; brother Bryan Strombom and wife Laura of Valley Springs, California; brother-in-law Lou Holveck of Lodi, California; and brother-in-law Lewis Thames and wife Deanna of Humble, Texas; nine grandchildren: (Marin, Somer, Lillian, Noelle, Noble and Roman Rhodes, and Kory, Megan and Ashley Cole); and, numerous amazing nieces, nephews, family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, daughter Kristi Rhodes, grandson Major Hezekiah Rhodes, sister Jean Holveck, brother-in-law Lyle Cooper, and uncle Robert Brouwer.