Our beloved Bridgeville High School Class of 1949 lost one of its most popular members this month with the passing of Florene Cherry Joyce. I had the privilege of knowing Florene from our first day of first grade in 1937 until both of us were old and gray.
Like so many of us, she was the product of modest circumstances; her family operated a shoe store from a store front in their home on Baldwin Street while she was growing up. One of her favorite stories was her mother keeping the store open late every evening, until the last train from Pittsburgh (“the Bummer”) arrived, in case some customer would still wander in, in desperate need of work shoes.
A brief review of our high school yearbook easily illustrates the contributions she made to our class. She served as a class officer, performed in both Junior and Senior plays, helped found the BHS chapter of the National Honor Society, was social chairman of the Library Club, served as president of the Girls Athletic Association at a time when that was the girls’ alternative to being barred from interscholastic sports, was a member of the Dramatic Club and the Y-Teens, and earned a letter as a cheerleader.
Perhaps cheerleader is the most relevant categorization of this remarkable young lady, since it combines two of her most obvious characteristics – being positive and being a leader. If one were to attribute human qualities to a high school class, one would describe Florene as the soul of our class.
I was pleased that the news obituary in the Post-Gazette mentioned the fact that Florene had been salutatorian of our class when we graduated. In simpler times that was an honor that one would remember for the rest of his/her life.
After graduation from high school, Florene went to Mercyhurst University where she majored in chemistry and sociology. Her first job was with the university as field secretary. A Post-Gazette article in 1954 described her participation in a local program where she answered “questions about social and academic life at the college”. Mercyhurst alumna Gloria Lutz also spoke at the event.
Following graduate work at Marquette University in counseling, her next job was with the Urban League of Pittsburgh as assistant director of industrial relations, “assisting African American students with access to higher education and professional careers”. Florene’s commitment to helping underprivileged persons was consistent throughout her life.
In 1958 she met and married Jack Joyce, a union that produced four children, nine grand-children, and three great-grand-children. This change in lifestyle initiated a new career, in volunteering. By 1974 she was President of St. Lucy’s Auxiliary to the Blind, a well-known organization with the mission of inspiring young women to a lifetime commitment to volunteer service. By now the Greater Pittsburgh Guild for the Blind had moved to Bridgeville; they were grateful beneficiaries of St. Lucy’s efforts.
A decade later she served as president of the board of directors for Miryam’s, when it opened its doors in 1986 to homeless women with comprehensive mental health issues. Miryam’s services included a shelter for homeless women, a soup kitchen, a half-way house for women trying to regain a normal life, and follow-up counselling for their clients. In 1994 the American Institute for Public Service honored Florene for her service at Miryam’s with the Jefferson Medal and named her an “Outstanding Citizen”.
This was not her first award. The Chartiers Valley Commission on Human Relations gave her the Community Service Award of the Year for 1973. Also in 1994 her Alma Mater, Mercyhurst Unversity, gave her their Distinguished Alumna Award.
When Mary Weise formed her committee to focus on Bridgeville history for the community’s centennial celebration, Florene was a major participant. I remember numerous meetings at her home on Old Lesnett Road, with Florene regaling us with tales of her memories of growing up on Baldwin Street. It was there I first heard of “Billy Magooch”, and there I had my memories of “Shades of Death” renewed. When the committee morphed into the Bridgeville Area Historical Society, she and her husband Jack were major founders of the new organization, and significant supporters during its early years.
Florene played a major role in the biggest embarrassment of my grade school years. One third grade morning Miss Agnes Shadish announced that we were going to have a spelling bee, boys against the girls. Simple rules – whenever a speller missed he/she would drop out until only the champion was left.
I think we had about eleven boys to start, against thirteen girls – no real advantage to either side. However, except for Bobby Albertson, all the other boys missed in the first round and were eliminated. Apparently I was expecting too much of Jake Schullek, Skip Bryant, and Sam Capozzoli. When Bobby tripped up on “committee” in the third round, I found myself alone against seven confident females.
The problem, of course, was that I had to go head to head against each girl separately. Not to worry, I was super over-confident. Slowly but surely I whittled down the opposition – Mary Lou Graham, Ethol Snyder, Mary Fryer – until my only competition was Florene. We sparred evenly for three or four rounds until I heard Miss Shadish say “Jack, your next word is bracelet”. No problem, I immediately visualized Lancelot presenting one to Guinevere in Camelot.
B-R-A-C-E-L-O-T!
The instant the “O” passed my lips, I knew I was wrong. Too late to recover – “A card laid is a card played”. Miss Shadish gasped, “Wrong!” Florene, graciously, responded, “Jack, I think you will find it is “et” not “ot”. The girls cheered, the boys booed, and I was stigmatized for the rest of my life.
Florene Cherry Joyce left a lasting impression on everyone she touched. We dozen or so remaining “Forty-niners” are grateful to be among the several thousand people who benefitted from knowing her.