Seattle, Washington - Martha "Ann" Joyce, 80, who lived at the Hearthstone in Seattle near Green Lake, died from sepsis on May 8, 2025.

Ann's parents, Jake and Hortence Joyce, raised Ann and her younger brother Gene in Coleman, Texas, a West Texas town, where she attended local schools, raised sheep in a large backyard and showed them at County Fairs. After graduating from McMurry College in Abilene, Texas in 1966 with a BS in Math and minor in Chemistry, she joined the Peace Corps, teaching math to middle school students in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia. Upon completing a masters at the University of Oklahoma in Math Education in 1968, she taught in Houston, Texas, before moving to the Seattle area to teach High School math in the Issaquah School District, where her courses ranged from "Liberal Arts Math" to Advanced Calculus. Students say she inspired them with her passion for math, focus on cooperative learning, kindness and humor. An athlete, she coached volleyball in the first years after Title IX was adopted. Ann worked many summers at Junior Citizens' Camp as a counselor and camp director for teenagers in juvenile detention. She later taught in Seattle's Rainier Scholars, which offers a pathway to college graduation for hard-working, low-income students of color and led the math department at Seattle's Northwest School. An avid hiker, she loved the Northwest's mountains. She cheered for the Seattle Storm as a long-time season ticket holder. A leader at Wallingford United Methodist Church, she worked with a team to initiate a Sister Parish relationship with Guarjila, El Salvador, currently celebrating a 25 year connection. Ann's travels to East Africa, Central America, Cuba, and the American South echoed her passion for Social Justice. She and her wife Mary celebrated their thirtieth anniversary in April. She loved her dog Dosey. Long-time friends supported Mary and Ann, telling stories, singing songs, and sharing ginger beer in Ann's final days. Many thanks and much love to those who supported Ann and Mary as Ann passed from this world.

Ann's parents predeceased her. Survivors include her wife Mary Edwards of Seattle, Washington; and her brother Gene and his wife Kathy of College Station, Texas. A memorial service will be held on July 12 at 10am at Wallingford United Methodist Church in Seattle, WA. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Sound Generations' Meals on Wheels at 2208 2nd Ave, Suite 100 in Seattle, WA 98121 or to Rainier Scholars at https://www.rainierscholars.org/donate/

This world will miss Ann's passion for social justice, and those of us who knew her will also miss her kindness, wisdom, grit and humor.