Joyce Hill

Joyce Standing Hill, 92--the last survivor of her generation of family—died shortly after the stroke of midnight on March 22, 2021, following a long decline due to incidents of age. The daughter of Arnold Rudolf “Barney” Standing and Josephine Lindquist Standing, she was born in Logan, Utah, on December 2, 1928. Her father served his entire career in the U.S. Forest Service, and her family moved where his assignments took him. During her early years, she spent school years in Ogden and summers at her grandmother’s home with her mother and brothers in Logan, while her father saddled his horse and rode the high country. After a year in Cedar City, she moved with her family to Portland, Oregon, where she attended Washington High School. In addition to being a good student, she was active in student government, cheerleading, and dating one of the school’s basketball stars, who she said years later was not known for his looks, though she was. This foreshadowed a lifetime of attendance at literally thousands of football, basketball, baseball, and soccer games, as well as track meets, in support of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, boys and girls alike.

Following graduation from high school, Joyce attended Oregon State College in Corvallis, Oregon. As legend has it, there, in a chemistry class during her freshman year, she met the love of her life, the dashing Herbert Hill, an Oregon native and Army veteran recently returned from service in Europe and Japan. They wed on December 19, 1947. Slightly over a year later, they welcomed their firstborn, Steve. Not long after, Herb joined the church of her pioneer ancestors, The Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those events set the course for the rest of her life—caring first for her husband and family, and then quietly serving in a myriad of church callings.

Following Herb’s graduation, she moved with him and her infant son to Berkeley, California, where her second son, Tracy, was born. Two years later, the family moved to Portland, Oregon, where her remaining children, Ron, Katie, and Sharon were born. Over the years a steady stream of her children’s friends paraded through her small house. With equanimity, she endured trampled flowers, basepaths worn on her back lawn, broken windows, the theft of her peaches, cats and a dog named Bunker. During the final months of her life, she often fondly recalled the many “characters” who kept life interesting.

Her home was alive with the sound of music. Her children can recite the lyrics of, if not sing, countless songs from Broadway musicals—the works of Rogers & Hammerstein, The Music Man, My Fair Lady and others—often playing on her stereo as they walked through her door after school. She encouraged her children to develop their musical talents, and they did—singing and playing piano, guitar and other instruments, a legacy her grandchildren have amplified.

She was a prolific letter writer. While her children were away at college and on missions, she wrote them letters weekly without fail, all full of news. She never missed a holiday, birthday, wedding, or other special event, sending countless cards and gifts to children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends. She loved holidays, striving always to make them special and to beautify her home for every occasion. She fed multitudes, preparing thousands of meals, making sure she always made enough for seconds. She loved flowers and--after her sons left home and their destructive backyard games ceased-- made her yard a place of beauty.

Upon Herb’s retirement in 1991, he and Joyce moved to Orem, Utah, where they spent the remainder of their days, except for a two-year hiatus while they presided over the Connecticut Hartford Mission. Their Utah years were filled with family, church, and watching the inevitable ball games. She cared for Herb to the end of his life four years ago.  She never complained, and she never, ever called attention to herself; she always put others first.

When the infirmities of age made it impossible to care for herself, she moved to Legacy Village in Provo, where she received the constant, loving care she gave to so many others. She was blessed to be joined there by her brother Bob, who kept her spirits high during the pandemic with daily visits. Her health declined rapidly following his passing seven weeks ago.

She is survived by her five children, Steve (Tauni), Tracy (Joeen), Ron (Karen), Katie Williams (Steve) and Sharon Rose (Gordon), 26 grandchildren, and 66 great grandchildren, the youngest born the week she died. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert Hill; her brothers Lin and Bob Standing; and grandsons, Tyler Griffin Hill and Jacob Dee Hill. The family is grateful to the staffs of Legacy Village and Valeo Home Health & Hospice and Dr. Erika Noonan for their thoughtful, kind, and attentive care.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, March 27, 2021, at Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 S. State Street, Orem, Utah 84058. Given current circumstances, masks will be required of those attending the funeral. Social distancing will be observed.  Friends may call from 6:00-8:00pm on Friday, March 26, and before the service on Saturday, March 27, from 9:30-10:30am. Condolences for family may be left on this page.

For those unable to attend, services will be livestreamed and can be seen by clicking the following link,
https://www.facebook.com/sundbergolpinfuneralhome/.