Joyce Etsuko Cho
April 30, 1933 to February 26, 2022
Obituary
Passed away unexpectedly at home on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the age of 88. Predeceased by her husband Cho by three weeks, their son Arnold, her sister Isabel, brother Frank, and brother-in-law C.W.
Left with a lifetime of fond and loving memories her children and grandson, Carolyn (Craig), Rosalyne (Joost), and Lucas; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law Tom, Sook Hi and Jean; nieces and nephews and their children, Yoon Hi (Alan; Jennifer, Nathan (Lydia), Jillian), John (Mary Ann; Albert), Beata, Bob (daughter Melissa), David (Cheryl; Ben, Alex), Anne (Erik; Anika), Matthew, and Jeffrey (Christine; Juliana, Makayla).
Joyce was born in Richmond, BC, and grew up in Toronto, where she met her husband Cho. Shortly after getting married, they relocated to St. John’s in 1958 for Cho’s new position at Memorial University. Mom was an active community volunteer with Child Welfare, WAMUN (Women’s Association of MUN), and Friends of the Garden of the MUN Botanical Garden where she organized the Tuesday art group for many years. Joyce was a talented botanical artist. Her dining room table was her studio, where she would toil away producing fantastic work with very minute details. After receiving recognition for her published work in Wildflower magazine she was invited as one of the artists of the Temagami Provincial Park Conservation Art Project, was invited to contribute to Canada Bloom, to Tasmania’s Art of the Islands in 2003, and she served on the board of the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Art).
In recent years, whenever you saw Joyce or Cho, you normally saw the other. They were very kind, generous, respectful and respected.
The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the staff at Tiffany Village for their care and support these past few years.
Resting at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Rd. on Wednesday, March 2 from 12-2 and 4-6 p.m. Funeral service will be held from St. James United Church on Thursday, March 3 at 11 a.m. Please contact Jennifer at 700-6064 to register to attend the funeral service. Masks and NL VaxPasses are required. The funeral service will be livestreamed from the St. James United Church website https://www.stjamesuc.org/ for those unable to attend in person. Interment to follow in General Protestant Cemetery, where Mom will be laid to rest with Dad and Arnold.
In lieu of flowers, charitable gifts are greatly accepted in memory of Joyce Cho at the Memorial University Botanical Garden. Gifts may be made online at www.mun.ca/give and specify “In memoriam of Joyce Cho” or gifts may be mailed to:
Office of Development
Memorial University of Newfoundland
P.O. Box 4200
St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7
To send a message of condolence, please visit www.carnells.com.
Schedule
Visitations
12-2 p.m. on March 2, 2022
4-6 p.m. on March 2, 2022
Carnell’s Funeral Home
329 Freshwater Road
View on Map
funeral
11:00am, Thursday March 3rd
St. James United Church
Interment to follow in General Protestant Cemetery.
My deepest sympathy to your family with the loss of your wonderful mother.
Love to all at this difficult time
Emily and Peter Angel
Carolyn, Rosalyne and your families. I want to send you my sympathy at the lost of both your father and then your mother.. I have great memories of their kindness to me as I learned about Korean families. The meals they hosted were so welcoming and fun. Your mother shared her love of art, needlework and her children., I can only imagine how proud they were of both of you and especially their grandson. My heart is with you as you go through this difficult time. Your memories and shared stories will help you day to day.
We were so sorry to hear of Joyce’s passing. She was such a devoted friend and supporter of the Botanical Garden and of me during my years there. Her paintings have adorned our walls wherever we have lived since then and they will always be a reminder of the kindness and the friendship of Joyce and Cho.
Our deepest condolences to Rosalyne, Carolyn and their families.
So very sorry to hear of Joyce’s passing so soon after your Dad’s death. Rosalyne, I have many happy memories of you and Mark with your quarter sized violins entering the world of classical music at such tender ages. Joyce’s rendition of Newfoundland’s beautiful pitcher plant holds a place of honour in my home and will always remind me of your dear mother. My sincere condolences to you and all your family.
Having known Joyce and Cho since the year after they first came to Newfoundland. I remember them being entertained by David’s parents and many have our associations been over the years. Always kind, reaching out to others, helping and encouraging them Joyce was so often the quiet centre of things, including the ones she initiated like “art in the garden.” How we will miss them both!
How wonderful to think of them reunited with their dear son Arnold! Carolyn and Rosalyne you will miss them deeply, but have so many happy and proud memories to cherish!
Hi Carolyn
I saw the obituaries for both of your parents recently and wanted to pass along my condolences. I haven’t seen you in many, many years but yet MUN seems like yesterday.. I hope you have your memories of your parents to carry you through this difficult time.
Jane Fitzpatrick
Joyce will be missed by so many! My thoughts are with you, Carolyn and Rosalyne.
Please accept my condolences on the passing of both of your parents. It’s quite difficult to lose one but to lose the second within such a short time is most unfair. I knew your mom through her longtime membership in the Embroiderers Guild. I believe that everything your mom did she did well.: embroidery, painting, cooking, gardening. We spent many happy mornings together. I Will remember her wonderful laugh. Again! My most sincere sympathy.
Carolyn. So sorry to hear of the passing of your Mom and Dad. We always appreciated having such kind and thoughtful neighbours. all those years ago. In recent years, I would see them, always together, walking the track at The Works. My condolences to you and your family.
We remember with fondness our association with Joyce and Dr. Cho. Joyce celebrated MUN’s Botanical Garden through her sublime art work and through her art opened our eyes to the beauty of Newfoundland.
So sorry to hear about the sudden passing of your Mom! We have so many memories of visits, dinners ,Korean gatherings etc.. It was a life well lived. Our family is also very pleased to have her beautiful art in our homes ,
With sympathy,
Dr and Mrs(Joyce Kim
Carey and Martin Macdonald
Andrew and Michelle Kim
Claire and Rick Karst
Fall River NS
I will always have wonderful memories of your mom and her beautiful art. It was a true blessing to have come to know your mom and dad through Spurrell Gallery. She was a very kind and soft spoken person who possessed the ability to bring great beauty to everything she painted. I was always in awe and felt very privileged that she would entrust us to the frame these beautiful works of art! Sad for this day but happy to have crossed paths! God Bless Carolyn and Rosalyne.
I’m thinking about what a sad and difficult time this is for your family, Carolyn and Rosalyne. . The Cho’s were wonderful friends to my Aunt Ella and Uncle Corbin Noel over the years. My husband and I had dinner several times with them. all. Joyce was the most kind and caring friend., and yes ,every time I saw them out and about, they were together. Rest in peace lovely Joyce.
My deepest condolences to Joyce’s family and friends. I remember her well during my years at the Botanical Garden. She was a ray of sunshine and I loved the many conversations with her. May you rest eternally in peace Joyce.
So sorry to get such sad news. My condolences to her family and relatives. May Joyce’s soul Rest In Peace.
To the Cho Family,
Saddened to hear of the passing of your Mom. I met your Mom when I became a member of the WAMUN when my then husband started at MUN as a Prof in the Physics department/
She was a very gracious hostess and very lively and sweet.
Take comfort in that your parents are together again, sooner than expected I am sure.
Sincere condolences to Joyce’s family. I knew Joyce for many years through the Embroiderers’ Guild. A very talented artist, stitcher and overall lovely, kind person.
Our deepest sympathies and condolences, once again. Dad was immensely respectful of Joyce’s artistic gifts, and Mom and Dad and all of us happy and honoured to have known such kind and gentle souls as Dr and Mrs Cho. They clearly couldn’t bear to be apart, and are now together again. -Chris and Sandra
My deepest condolences to all of the family. I met Joyce when I started working at MUN Botanical Garden in 1999., and considered her one of my dearest friends. I will miss her immensely. I have never known a more gentle or kinder person. Her amazing artistic talent could never be matched or duplicated. Heaven will be an even more beautiful place with Joyce leading the botanical artists. Rest easy Joyce with your beloved Cho. God bless.