Joyce Lynn Johnson (née Smith), 65, of Driftwood, Texas, passed away in the comfort of her home on December 28, 2022. Joyce was born in Beeville, Texas on September 16, 1957.

She had a difficult and nomadic childhood, and when she turned 17, she moved out on her own, eventually earning her degree in Accounting at Southwestern Oklahoma State in 1979. Joyce had several jobs working as a ranch hand, for Valero, PG&E, Apartment Manager, Vet Tech, Insurance specialist with doctors' offices, Insurance Companies PCA & Humana, and finishing her career working with The Texas Department of Insurance when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Medullary Thyroid Cancer, MTC (a person with MTC is called a Meddie).

Joyce did not let cancer rule her life. She always had a positive perspective and would always say cancer gave her the opportunity to quit work and stay at home to play with all her arts. She was very creative: she filled her house with a variety of paintings, crocheting, jewelry, sewing, felting, clay work and would experiment with any new crafts to her liking she discovered on PBS or YouTube. She loved to write letters to others and just to doodle-write and draw. She was also a writer who loved to express herself and was a talented artist whose broad colorful strokes in ways reflected her stories about her journey with MTC. She contributed in the first Meddie book "After The Diagnosis, Medullary Thyroid Cancer Memoirs" with four lovely, thoughtful and deeply personal stories, "Inner Voice" (page 44), "My Thank You Note To Cancer" (page 96), "Running Rampant" (page 118), and "The Chosen One" (page 174). She also contributed to the Second Meddie memoir book "The Butterfly Sings, After The Diagnosis, Medullary Thyroid Cancer Memoirs" with "Art And That Thing Called MTC" (page 55), "Uncouth" (page 83), "Cells" (page 131), and "What Has MTC Taught Me" (page 154).

Joyce also loved pugs, feral cats, horses and most other wildlife along with the outdoors. She loved her Ford pickup trucks; she disliked small talk, all fruits and most healthy vegetables. She was smart, analytical, perceptive, and deliberate; but equally she was compassionate, empathetic, and generous with her many talents. While she kept a small social circle, those who knew her know she was lively, opinionated, and stubborn. Joyce was a devoted mother and wife, and for many she will be remembered as a friend, confidante, and life-saver.

She is survived by her husband, Stan Johnson of Driftwood, TX; son Gatlin Johnson, wife Jeanette and granddaughter Beverly of Austin, TX. She is also survived by her brothers Thomas "Ray" Moses, wife Sherry, son Ben and daughter Dana of San Antonio, TX., her nephew Rick Smith, wife Seneca and daughter Claire of Corpus Christi, TX. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Richard Smith and Aunt Lena Phillips who was like a mother to her.

The Visitation will be held at Harrell Funeral Home at 100 Heritage Drive, Dripping Springs, TX on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at 1:00 PM. Funeral Services will follow at 2:00 PM with David Davis officiating. Burial will be at Driftwood Cemetery, 15100 FM 150 W, Driftwood, TX. Harrell Funeral Home will be handling the funeral arrangements.

Memorial donations may be made to ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., PO Box 1102, Olney, MD 20830 / https://civi.thyca.org/donate or you can purchase one of the books discussed above at https://thyca.org/mtc/treatment/publications/two-books, all royalties from both of these books will be used to support ThyCa's medullary thyroid cancer research grants. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Darren E. Geyer, MD who supported her health from the beginning to the end with cancer, Hospice of Austin nurse Margaret Black, Martin's Wellness Dripping Springs Pharmacy, and to family and friends who wrote her, texted her and called her.