Joyce Hurvitz, 96

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Joyce Rady Hurvitz was born in the small town of Bristol, Virginia in 1927. Her family soon moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she grew up and attended Vanderbilt University. Joyce met her future husband, Arthur Hurvitz of New York, on a fortuitous visit: Arthur’s brother had married Joyce’s cousin, and Arthur joined his brother on a trip to see his in-laws in Chattanooga. There, Joyce and Arthur met and fell into a deep love which lasted every day of their 71-year marriage until Arthur died in 2020.

After a brief stint in Atlanta, where Arthur was finishing his degrees at Georgia Tech, the couple moved to Rhode Island to build a life together. Joyce ultimately lived in Rhode Island for 72 of her 96 years, but she never lost the charming southern drawl she developed growing up in Tennessee.

Her southern charm was accompanied by a deep thoughtfulness, quick-witted sense of humor, immense care for her community, and true joie de vivre. Joyce wrote poems to her family and friends on every birthday and anniversary that were tailored to reflect the honorees’ personalities and special memories she shared with each of them – she made sure that her poems always rhymed and included at least a few jokes. Her contagious laugh made her a delight to be with in any setting, and she always had a kind word to say about everyone.

Joyce happily served as a trusted and measured adviser to friends and family members on personal problems and gave straightforward and common-sense feedback; she was willing to say what people needed to hear, even it was not always what they wanted to hear.

She was an accomplished cook and baker, with a specialty in all things chocolate. Even though her creations were invariably delicious, she continuously tweaked the recipes to perfection, filling the margins of her countless cookbooks with handwritten notes. Her children and grandchildren were always eager to taste her latest creation.

While Joyce excelled at tennis and bridge, she was not competitive, and she displayed her skill with characteristic generosity; she would insist on including friends who were less experienced when others at her level refused to play with them. Joyce loved ballroom dancing with Arthur, but more accurately, she loved doing everything with Arthur and for Arthur. The couple was inseparable. Once Joyce and Arthur were browsing in a gallery, and a salesman asked Joyce what she knew about art. Joyce quickly replied that she knew everything about art. Perplexed, the salesman asked “what do you mean, how could that possibly be true?” Joyce smiled and quipped, “I’m married to him!”

Together, Joyce and Arthur were active philanthropists in Rhode Island and supported many organizations with both their time and their giving. Their causes included The Miriam Hospital, the Jewish Seniors Agency, the Jewish Federation of RI, The Jewish Family Service, Planned Parenthood of RI, Pawtucket Boy’s Club, and Cumberland-Lincoln Boy’s Club. Joyce also chaired fundraisers for Butler on the Green as well as neighborhood fund drives for the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

The family matriarch, Joyce supported Arthur throughout his career, and for decades presided over weekly family dinners to convene her children and grandchildren, for whom she consistently set an example of generosity, humility and joy.

Joyce died at home on July 27, 2023 in Providence surrounded by her loving family. She is survived and deeply missed by her brother, Howard Rady of Dallas, Texas; her two daughters, Karen Hurvitz of Concord, Massaachusetts, and Ellen Hurvitz of Needham, Massachusetts; her four grandchildren Mark Strasnick, Alix Strasnick, Daniel Berke, and Michael Berke; and her two great-grandchildren Jacob Strasnick and Julian Strasnick. The family would like to gratefully acknowledge the devoted care given to both Joyce and Arthur by Dennene Merola, Nikki Olivier, Pam Remka, Ivonne Visco and Linda St Laurent.

Donations may go to the Hurvitz Nursing Scholarship Endowed Fund, c/o Miriam Hospital, 164 Summit Avenue, Providence, RI 02906, or https://giving.lifespan.org/The-Miriam/Give-Now