On Friday, September 4, 2026, another angel arrived in heaven, Joyce Gail Sanchez, 90, passed away.
Beloved wife, cherished mother and treasured Nana, Joyce was a woman of faith and devoted to her
family. She loved unconditionally and always believed the best in her family and encouraged them.
Joyce enjoyed going to plays and singing and dancing. She’d often sing songs throughout her day. She
loved to dance and be twirled around by her favorite partner, her husband and cherished, John. She
enjoyed entertaining and throwing her annual Christmas eve parties where her home was filled with
love, laughter and great food.
Joyce started life as Joyce Gail Gaddy, and grew up in Tampa, Florida. She later married her husband
John Sanchez and moved to Miami. Joyce was a former school teacher in the Dade County School
District. She spent most of her career teaching kindergarten and first grade at Royal Green Elementary
School. Her earlier career included teaching at Palmetto Junior High School. She attended University of
Tampa for her B.S. in Education.
She believed in serving others and making a difference. As a teacher she put together a pilot program,
the Reading Library Bus, where she developed a reading literacy program designed to help young
students and their parents improve their reading skills. She served as a Girl Scout Troop leader for
several years. She was a member of the Woman’s Club in Miami.
Some of her favorite community service included creating quilts with the Plantation United Methodist
Church quilters group. She enjoyed driving the completed quilts to the VA Hospital in Tampa for
convalescing veterans to enjoy. She organized a group to create quilts for Hurricane Sandy victims in NJ,
who were enduring near freezing temperatures as they awaited relief to repair their homes. She also
enjoyed serving as Table Leader for the Walk to Emmaus.
Joyce is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Dr. John B. Sanchez, who passed in 2017. She is
survived by her daughters, son and sons in law, Joyce (Gigi) Hervey, Jeanne Tunon and husband John,
John Monroe Sanchez, and Janet Erin Sanchez-Hall and husband Lonnie. She is also survived by her
grandchildren and great grandchildren, Christoper Tunon, George Hervey and Tracy Cabezas and
husband Israel as well as their children Daniel, Isabella and Jacob.
We will always be grateful for having her in our lives and the encouragement and unconditional love she
gave with such abundance.
Favorite song: Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are.

A Private Service to honor Joyce will be held by her family.

Services entrusted to Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024.