Obituary for Joyce Gillespie Briggs
Litchfield - Joyce Gillespie Briggs, 87, passed away peacefully at home on May 6, 2023. She was born on April 13, 1936, to Leonard Glen Gillespie and Marguerite Runk Gillespie, in York, Pennsylvania. She attended York High School and graduated from Pembroke College (now Brown University) in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. She met her husband-to-be, Robert Briggs, in the biology lab at Brown. Following graduation, she taught biology at Day Prospect Hill School in New Haven while her husband completed his medical training at Yale University.
The family moved to Litchfield in 1965 where she devoted her life to raising their growing family and to numerous nonprofit and volunteer activities. Early on, she became involved in the Women’s Forum, the Connecticut Junior Republic and the Litchfield PTO, and was in leadership roles in the local and state League of Women Voters. She served on the Litchfield Board of Education for twelve years, the last two years as Chair. She was an active member of the Litchfield Scholarship Committee until her passing. In 1989, she became focused on affordable housing through the recently-formed Litchfield Housing Trust, and eventually served as its President. She remained devoted to the Litchfield Housing Trust even as her health was compromised in recent years. In addition to her civic and philanthropic work, she loved gardening, reading, the tennis group, celebrating birthdays, and more recently, bird-watching.
She was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Dr. Robert Briggs. She is survived by her daughter Kate Briggs Johnson and her former husband Martin Johnson; her daughter Margaret Briggs-Gowan and her husband, Alec Gowan; and her son, Thomas Briggs and his wife, Marta Briggs, and grandchildren Andrew and Dylan Johnson, Sarah and Duncan Gowan and Carson and Grace Briggs.
In Lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Litchfield Housing Trust, Inc., PO Box 1121, Litchfield, CT 06759.
Calling hours will be held at the Thurston Rowe Funeral Home, 283 Torrington Road, Litchfield, Connecticut, on Friday, May 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. On Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:00, a Memorial with a Reception will be held at the Litchfield Community Center at 421 Bantam Road, Litchfield.
To watch Joyce's Memorial via zoom please copy and paste the below link into your browser
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81985298162?pwd=ZEl2TmVLeERLQlIvdWsrVy8rVFNKZz09
Meeting ID 819 8529 8162
Passcode 270830
The family moved to Litchfield in 1965 where she devoted her life to raising their growing family and to numerous nonprofit and volunteer activities. Early on, she became involved in the Women’s Forum, the Connecticut Junior Republic and the Litchfield PTO, and was in leadership roles in the local and state League of Women Voters. She served on the Litchfield Board of Education for twelve years, the last two years as Chair. She was an active member of the Litchfield Scholarship Committee until her passing. In 1989, she became focused on affordable housing through the recently-formed Litchfield Housing Trust, and eventually served as its President. She remained devoted to the Litchfield Housing Trust even as her health was compromised in recent years. In addition to her civic and philanthropic work, she loved gardening, reading, the tennis group, celebrating birthdays, and more recently, bird-watching.
She was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Dr. Robert Briggs. She is survived by her daughter Kate Briggs Johnson and her former husband Martin Johnson; her daughter Margaret Briggs-Gowan and her husband, Alec Gowan; and her son, Thomas Briggs and his wife, Marta Briggs, and grandchildren Andrew and Dylan Johnson, Sarah and Duncan Gowan and Carson and Grace Briggs.
In Lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to: Litchfield Housing Trust, Inc., PO Box 1121, Litchfield, CT 06759.
Calling hours will be held at the Thurston Rowe Funeral Home, 283 Torrington Road, Litchfield, Connecticut, on Friday, May 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. On Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:00, a Memorial with a Reception will be held at the Litchfield Community Center at 421 Bantam Road, Litchfield.
To watch Joyce's Memorial via zoom please copy and paste the below link into your browser
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81985298162?pwd=ZEl2TmVLeERLQlIvdWsrVy8rVFNKZz09
Meeting ID 819 8529 8162
Passcode 270830