Joyce Mize

Marilyn Joyce Hail Mize, 94, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2026, at Norton Pavilion in Louisville, Kentucky, with her daughter Lisa by her side.

Joyce was born on June 25, 1931, in Pulaski, Kentucky, to Wilson Hail and Obera Hail. From the very beginning, her life was marked by both hardship and remarkable strength. She would carry that strength with her for the next nine decades.

At just 40 years old, Joyce lost her beloved husband, Wilbert Mize. That same year, her home was lost to fire. Left to raise four children on her own, she met those trials not with bitterness, but with determination. She returned to school, earned her nursing degree, and became a Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, providing not only for her family, but caring faithfully for countless others. Her resilience and work ethic were a testament to her deep love for her children and her unwavering trust in God.

Joyce never lost her faith. It anchored her through loss, through rebuilding, and through every season of her life. She loved gospel music, found joy in worship, and lived out her belief quietly and consistently.

Family was her greatest treasure. She poured herself into her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved fiercely, loyally, and without condition.

Joyce had a love of learning and history. In retirement, she worked at the Pulaski County Historical Society, a fitting place for someone who treasured knowledge. She devoted countless hours to researching and documenting the Hail and Mize family genealogy, leaving behind a legacy of stories, names, and connections that will continue for generations. She also volunteered at the Center For The Arts and loved the good friends she made while working, and also the great shows she was able to see.

Joyce was a proud DAR member and was very active until she was unable to be.

She was very proud of her heritage and was so happy that one of her daughters (Denise) is carrying on that tradition.

Joyce loved to travel in her younger years, visiting 49 of the 50 states and traveling internationally.

She was also a devoted University of Kentucky basketball fan. She cheered faithfully and passionately - just another example of her loyalty.

She gained many new friends during her stay in Elizabethtown, some who treated her as their own mom. Just as Barbara Beckman and Jacinda Foster did, while in Somerset

Joyce was preceded in death by her brother Curtis Wilson Hail (1932-1934); her mother, Obera Hail (1911-1943); her brother Orville Hail (1943-1943); her father, Wilson Hail (1907-1951); her husband, Wilbert Mize (1930-1972); and her son, Michael Mize (1954-2024).

She is survived by her daughters, Vicki (Jerry) Denney, Lisa (Layne) Boulden, and Denise (Jeff) Biette; her brother, Ron Hail, her daughter-in-law, Juanita Mize, her grandchildren, Angie (Ari) Zomer, Kyley (Erixs) Reyes, Courtney (Chad) Johnson, Noah & Cody Mize; and her great-grandchildren, Zach & Roxie Zomer, Gabriel & Adriel Reyes, Ava & Kellan Johnson. She was also blessed to have bonus grandchildren, Josh Denney (Renea Denney), Adam Boulden (Sarah Boulden) and bonus great-grandchildren, Emma & John Manley, Elin & Lizzie Boulden, Jacob (Allyson) Denney and Taylor Denney.

Joyce will be remembered for her strength, her loyalty, her humor, and her unshakable faith in God. She fought the good fight, she finished the race, and she kept the faith.

Her legacy lives on in the family she built, the history she preserved, and the faith she modeled.

A funeral Service will be held on Monday, March 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM in the Chapel of Pulaski Funeral Home with Reverend Ron Davis officiating.

The family will receive friends on Monday, March 16, 2026 from 11:00 Am till time for services.

Burial will follow in the Short Creek Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family requests expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Short Creek Cemetery Fund , C/O Pam Taylor , 214 Stabb Rd. , Somerset, KY 42501

Pulaski Funeral Home is honored to assist the family.