Joyce Elaine Pollock

Joyce E Pollock, 51, of New Philadelphia, a loving and giving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away in Union Hospital at Dover, Saturday morning, April 5, 2014 following a courageous two and a half year battle with cancer.

Born in Dover on September 6, 1962, she was the daughter of David M. and Miriam F. (Beaber) Pollock.

Joyce was a 1981 graduate of New Philadelphia High School. She chose to pursue a career in nursing at Kent State University, receiving her BSN in 1985. As a part of this program, she attended an International Summer School program at the Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom, in London, England. In 1987, she enrolled at the University of California, San Francisco. She received her Master of Science in Nursing, Community Health Specialist two years later.

Joyce’s first exposure to the nursing profession was a two year position as a part-time nursing assistant at Park Village while attending Kent State. Her first position as a Registered Nurse was in the Pediatric Unit at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Arizona in 1986-1987. She worked for Retrospect Medical Auditing an auditor of hospital records while she was attending school in San Francisco. In 1994, Joyce became the Director and Vice President of Visiting Nurse Society of Stark County with responsibility of the 5 clinical services they offered. This led to a position as the director of the Columbia Mercy Medical Center home health, Hospice, and private duty services. In 1997, she became an Assistant Professor at Ashland University to teach and instruct clinical work of the RN-BSN program. Joyce also served as a consultant for Hospice of Wayne County for JCAHO accreditation during this time.

In 2001, Joyce had a desire to give back to her home community and returned to Dover’s Union Hospital as a pediatric nurse and held this position until cancer caused her disability. While holding this position, she also worked with the Help Me Grow program as a Maternal Newborn Nurse.

Joyce has been affiliated with numerous professional affiliations, research studies, health related projects, and publications.

Joyce’s faith was nurtured at First Mennonite Church in Sugarcreek. She was also one of the co-founders of Dover Christian Fellowship. She served on the Board of Directors for Camp Buckeye and as camp nurse for the summer programs. For several years, Joyce had a Little Sister as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. She also served as a director of Harbor House.

Her generous, warm-spirited soul will be deeply missed by her family including her parents, David and Miriam Pollock of New Philadelphia; her siblings, Douglas (Martha) Pollock of Oregonia, Ohio and their children David and Jonathan; Brian (Brandie) Pollock of New Philadelphia and their children, Zachary Kueffer, and Madison and Ryan Pollock; and Melvin (Becky) Pollock of New Philadelphia and their children, Mackenzie and Chase Pollock.

Joyce was preceded in death by an infant brother, Clark; and her grandparents, Peter and Bessie Pollock and Dennis and Edna Beaber.

Visitation will be held in the Geib Funeral Center at Dover on Tuesday from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m. A service celebrating Joyce’s life will be held in the First Christian Church at New Philadelphia on Wednesday beginning at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow in Jerusalem Church Cemetery.

Friends are invited back to the church fellowship hall where a meal will be shared.

Joyce used her God-given talents and gifts to care for and leave lasting impressions on the lives of those she encountered, served, and befriended. In honor of that legacy, memorial contributions in memory of Joyce may be directed to Community Hospice House, 716 Commercial Ave SW, New Philadelphia Ohio 44663 or the American Cancer Society, 525 North Broad Street, Canfield, Ohio 44406.