Joyce Taylor

On August 5, 2026, the world lost Joyce Taylor, née Case, at the age of 84. Born June 9, 1942, in Annabella, Utah, to Glen and Wilma Case, Joyce lived a life full of adventure, laughter, family, faith, and more than a few stories.

Joyce was adventurous, compassionate, independent, crafty, a little mischievous, and always on the lookout for her next treasure. She loved fishing, boating, bowling, garage sales, sewing, quilting, Christmas, and hummingbirds. If there was an adventure to be had or a story to be told, Joyce was usually somewhere in the middle of it.

She was an avid fisherman and especially loved telling the story of halibut fishing in Alaska. She loved being on the water and the freedom that came with it. She also had a remarkable talent for finding treasures. Garage sales were practically a sport, and she and her sister Janet would cross the entire valley in search of their next great find. Joyce could look at something everyone else had passed by and see its potential.

And there were a few things you could always count on with Joyce: a Coke with Pebble ice was the only acceptable Coke, and fish and chips were always a good idea.

Her greatest treasures, though, were her family.

For her grandchildren, Joyce was a constant presence. Wednesdays belonged to Grandma Joyce—Blockbuster, candy, and time together. Some of their earliest memories were of standing on a step stool in her kitchen helping her make meatballs and spaghetti. As they grew older, the traditions changed, but Joyce didn't. She was there every Wednesday throughout their childhood.

She taught her grandchildren to drive sitting on her lap in her Volkswagen Jetta, taught them how to mow lawns and care for a yard, and passed along her love of sewing, quilting, and making things with their own hands. She loved Christmas, and her grandchildren will always remember the joy of her two Christmas trees.

Joyce also had a mischievous streak. In the 1960s, she enjoyed racing with Lowell Plotts in his Chevy Chevelle. Lowell remained a dear friend and an important part of her life, and together they shared decades of memories and laughter.

Joyce spent nearly three decades at Foreign Aid. She began running parts and eventually became a parking lot monitor and provided administrative support. But her time there was about much more than a job. Over the years, she encountered countless customers throughout Utah Valley, many of whom came to know her, visit with her, and affectionately came to think of her as their own grandma. Joyce had a way of making people feel known, and she left an impression wherever she went.

For all of Joyce's outward adventure and humor, there was also a deeply spiritual part of her that not everyone knew. She had a deep love of God, St. Anthony, the Virgin Mary, and Mother

Cabrini. She made trips to Mother Cabrini in Colorado and brought holy water all the way home with her. She also seemed to possess a remarkable intuition about people and the world around her—a quiet sense of things that couldn't always be explained. Those who knew her best knew there was more to Joyce than what could be seen on the surface.

She loved hummingbirds and always made sure they had a reason to return.

Joyce was wild, compassionate, and always collecting treasures. She was a fun time and a good friend. She could turn an ordinary Wednesday into a childhood memory, a garage sale into an expedition, and a simple day into a story that would be told for years.

She is survived by her sons, Troy Taylor and Todd Plotts; her four grandchildren, Dylan Plotts, Cortney Taylor, Gunner Plotts, and Presley Henson; and six great-grandchildren.

Her family will remember her in the little things: the sound of a bowling ball, the excitement of finding a great garage-sale treasure, a Christmas tree glowing in the living room, freedom by the water, a hummingbird at the feeder, a Wednesday night movie, and a Coke with just the right pebble ice.

Joyce lived a big life. She loved deeply, laughed often, found treasures everywhere, and left behind a lifetime of stories. Most of all, she left behind people who were better for having known her - the memories that will never be forgotten.

Graveside services will be held Friday, August 14, 2026 at 11:00 am in the Orem City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.olpinmortuary.com.