Joyce Ann Kasson, age 82, of Stevens Point, passed away peacefully at Aspirus Hospital on Sunday, April 3, 2022, with her loving family by her side.

A funeral service for Joyce will be held at St. Paul's United Methodist Church at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2022. Prior to the service, visitation hours will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m.

Joyce was born on February 6,1940, in Oshkosh, WI, the daughter of Richard and Marie Prout. Joyce would often talk about her wonderful childhood with her loving parents and sister. She graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1957 and then attended Ripon College for two years. She was a cheerleader and a member of the Lyle House sorority, developing and maintaining lifelong friendships during this time. In the fall of 1957, she met Peter Kasson, and they married on August 29, 1959. They lived in Madison during their first year of marriage while Pete earned his Master’s Degree, and Joyce held a position as a medical transcriber for University Hospital. It was in that role that Joyce became very interested in the medical field. After short stays in Augusta, Seattle, Wisconsin Rapids and Oskosh, they moved to Stevens Point in 1966. They realized early on that this was where they wanted to raise their family. Pete served as a Professor of Physical Education and Golf Coach at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, while Joyce cared for their children, Tom, Connie and Dick. When their youngest entered school, she decided to pursue her interest in nursing, earning a Licensed Practical Nurse certificate from Mid-State Technical Institute. She served as a LPN for Portage County and St. Michaels’ Hospital for many years. At age 46, she decided to obtain her Registered Nurse degree and took classes at UWSP and Fox Valley Technical Institute. She was an ICU nurse for many years, retiring in 2004. Joyce adored nursing, and her genuine compassion and concern were transparent and highly appreciated by her colleagues, patients and families.

Joyce lived life to the fullest surrounded by family and friends. She was an active member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church ushering, volunteering, providing blood pressure screenings, assisting with church activities and participating as a devoted congregation member each Sunday. She loved her weekly church breakfasts with her friends. Joyce had so many friends including a bridge club, a first Friday group, neighborhood families and a “Fat Club” weigh in every week. She was a trusted and cherished friend, one that anyone would be blessed to have. She stayed involved with her nursing colleagues as well as her high school and Ripon classmates, traveling and visiting with them each year. Joyce was an avid reader, making multiple trips to the Portage County library each month. In addition, she was a talented tennis player, enjoying many different tennis groups and friends. She continues to be the oldest winner of the prestigious Spirit Lake, Idaho, family tennis tournament trophy, and she was extremely proud of this. She really loved rubbing this in the face of her husband, an All-American athlete.

Above all else, Joyce loved spending time with her family. A devoted wife, she and Pete shared a beautiful marriage for 62 years. They loved their home of 56 years, enjoying their patio, their “Prout Pool”, cocktail hours, competing in game shows and entertaining family and friends. They cherished their summers with their children and her parents at their cottage in beautiful Green Lake where she waterskiied at age 56. They also traveled to California frequently to spend time with her beloved sister and best friend, Barby. She loved spending time with all the Kassons at holiday and other celebrations. Joyce and Pete flew to Florida each winter for fifteen years, developing and maintaining wonderful friendships with neighbors in the condominium association. They frequently visited San Antonio, Texas, to spend time with their son, Dick, and his wife, Michelle, and grandchildren, Pierce and Hadley. Every summer for 25 years, they traveled to Spirit Lake, Idaho, at Tom’s home, enjoying the wonderful company of their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and their families. She always cherished that time and the wonderful memories that will live on forever. Joyce’s daughter, Connie, and her family live in Stevens Point, and Joyce was able to spend much valuable time with them including attending school activities and sports that she enjoyed tremendously.

Joyce was known for her sense of humor, infectious laugh and her extraordinary talent to make each and every person in her life feel so special and loved. Her breakfast nook was a welcoming place for family and friends to share life experiences. Joyce loved all the people who would pop in, young and old, and the stories, debates, laughter and tears were endless. She was the mom that her children’s friends loved to hang out with and the friend everyone could count on.

She is survived by her husband, Peter, of Sevens Point; children, Thomas Kasson of Spokane, Washington, Connie (Jack) Negaard of Stevens Point, and Richard (Michelle) Kasson of San Antonio, Texas; grandchildren, Thomas Negaard, Maggie Negaard, Pierce Kasson and Hadley Kasson.

Joyce’s family is extremely grateful for the wonderful care provided by the staff at Marshfield Clinic and Aspirus Hospital. Their compassion provided incredible guidance to the family during a very difficult time. It was so special that she was cared for, during her final hours, by two nurses that she helped train early in their careers at St. Michael’s Hospital. They had the opportunity to hear, once again, her infectious laugh and even applied her signature red lipstick that they remembered so well.

Online condolences may be shared by visiting www.shudafuneral.com.