Arnold Arthur Joyce Edmonds, Washington Obituary

Arnold Arthur Joyce

Arnold Arthur Joyce was born July 9, 1924 in Edmonds, Washington and died October 18, 2015 in Richmond Beach, Shoreline, Washington. He was 91 years old. Arnold was a lifelong Edmonds resident. He was born to Percy Joyce and Maude Doty Joyce at the historic Bishop Hotel in downtown Edmonds. Arnold was the oldest of four boys. He had a large extended family with his grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in the area.Arnold grew up with a Norwegian commercial fishing family of purse seiners, gillnetters, and boat builders. His grandfather, father, and uncles started the first auto ferryboat route from Edmonds to Kingston in 1923 building the boat on the beach in Edmonds. As a young boy Arnold lived through the great depression. His family was very poor. He often told stories of how he was excited to scrape together ten cents to see a movie at the Princess Theater. Arnold was always a very hard worker and at the age of eleven he took the bus to the Seattle Golf Club near the Highlands where he would sit all day hoping to caddy for the wealthy Seattle golfers and earn a quarter. He attended Edmonds Elementary and graduated from Edmonds High School in 1942. Being somewhat of a troublemaker he also caused some local minor mischief and was known to often skip school to fish and hunt.After graduation from high school in June 1942, Arnold worked in Seattle at the shipyards for six months and then enlisted in the US Marine Corps with his best friend, Jack Tuson, in January of 1943. After completing his boot camp training in Pendleton, California he was sent oversees to fight in the South Pacific in Papua New Guinea during World War II. He suffered injuries from a bombing on Goodenough Island and was sent to a veterans hospital in Texas and later Tacoma for a year. After his discharge of duty from the US Marines he returned to his family home in Edmonds. He did not think he would survive his service during the war so he dutifully sent all of his military earnings to his parents to pay off the mortgage on the family home. He considered himself very lucky to have survived the war as he often mentioned many men he knew did not return home.Arnold loved the outdoors and developed his love for the water, boats and fishing at a young age with his father. Upon returning from his duty in the Marines he began gillnetting in Alaska and the Puget Sound waters with his father and brothers. He continued his fishing career for the next fifty years. During those years he built and owned numerous gillnet boats.In 1950 he met Peggy Martenson of Ballard at the Trianon Ballroom in downtown Seattle. They married six months later in November 1950. Peggy was his lifelong companion and best friend. She accompanied him on his fishing adventures. After they married, Arnold built their first house on Alder Street, which began his additional career, building, moving and buying houses. Together they accumulated rental properties, which they managed together. Arnold and Peggy were married for 64 years until her passing in August of this year. He stayed closely by her side. Upon her death Arnold had a very rapid decline in his health, passing away only nine weeks after his bride. His brothers, Darrell Joyce of Edmonds and Douglas Joyce of Port Hadlock, Washington, survive Arnold. His brother Gene Joyce preceded him in death.His children, Peggy Weirauch (Michael Weirauch) of Edmonds, Arnold Bob Joyce of Edmonds, grandchildren Savannah Steffen and Max Weirauch, and step granddaughter Steffani Weirauch, survive Arnold.Arnold lived a long, full and active life. He enjoyed hard work, keeping busy, and telling stories of his many adventures. He will be greatly missed by his family.
July 9, 1924 - October 18, 201507/09/192410/18/2015
Share Obituary:

Share a memory

Add to your memory
Photos/Video
Candle
Mementos

Obituary

Arnold Arthur Joyce was born July 9, 1924 in Edmonds, Washington and died October 18, 2015 in Richmond Beach, Shoreline, Washington. He was 91 years old. Arnold was a lifelong Edmonds resident. He was born to Percy Joyce and Maude Doty Joyce at the historic Bishop Hotel in downtown Edmonds. Arnold was the oldest of four boys. He had a large extended family with his grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins in the area.Arnold grew up with a Norwegian commercial fishing family of purse seiners, gillnetters, and boat builders. His grandfather, father, and uncles started the first auto ferryboat route from Edmonds to Kingston in 1923 building the boat on the beach in Edmonds. As a young boy Arnold lived through the great depression. His family was very poor. He often told stories of how he was excited to scrape together ten cents to see a movie at the Princess Theater. Arnold was always a very hard worker and at the age of eleven he took the bus to the Seattle Golf Club near the Highlands where he would sit all day hoping to caddy for the wealthy Seattle golfers and earn a quarter. He attended Edmonds Elementary and graduated from Edmonds High School in 1942. Being somewhat of a troublemaker he also caused some local minor mischief and was known to often skip school to fish and hunt.After graduation from high school in June 1942, Arnold worked in Seattle at the shipyards for six months and then enlisted in the US Marine Corps with his best friend, Jack Tuson, in January of 1943. After completing his boot camp training in Pendleton, California he was sent oversees to fight in the South Pacific in Papua New Guinea during World War II. He suffered injuries from a bombing on Goodenough Island and was sent to a veterans hospital in Texas and later Tacoma for a year. After his discharge of duty from the US Marines he returned to his family home in Edmonds. He did not think he would survive his service during the war so he dutifully sent all of his military earnings to his parents to pay off the mortgage on the family home. He considered himself very lucky to have survived the war as he often mentioned many men he knew did not return home.Arnold loved the outdoors and developed his love for the water, boats and fishing at a young age with his father. Upon returning from his duty in the Marines he began gillnetting in Alaska and the Puget Sound waters with his father and brothers. He continued his fishing career for the next fifty years. During those years he built and owned numerous gillnet boats.In 1950 he met Peggy Martenson of Ballard at the Trianon Ballroom in downtown Seattle. They married six months later in November 1950. Peggy was his lifelong companion and best friend. She accompanied him on his fishing adventures. After they married, Arnold built their first house on Alder Street, which began his additional career, building, moving and buying houses. Together they accumulated rental properties, which they managed together. Arnold and Peggy were married for 64 years until her passing in August of this year. He stayed closely by her side. Upon her death Arnold had a very rapid decline in his health, passing away only nine weeks after his bride. His brothers, Darrell Joyce of Edmonds and Douglas Joyce of Port Hadlock, Washington, survive Arnold. His brother Gene Joyce preceded him in death.His children, Peggy Weirauch (Michael Weirauch) of Edmonds, Arnold Bob Joyce of Edmonds, grandchildren Savannah Steffen and Max Weirauch, and step granddaughter Steffani Weirauch, survive Arnold.Arnold lived a long, full and active life. He enjoyed hard work, keeping busy, and telling stories of his many adventures. He will be greatly missed by his family.

Events

There are no events scheduled.