Our dear Kentucky Belle, Joyce Anne Browne (née Kipp) passed away peacefully on the evening of April 19th in her home in Scotts Valley, California, surrounded by all four of her children and her devoted husband Paul after a valiant battle with cancer.
Joyce was born on 9 May 1937 to Charles George Kipp and Helen Augustine Kipp (née Breitbeil). She was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, but her hopes, dreams, passions, and love for a man in uniform propelled her to many other destinations. She raised her children in California but never forgot her family roots in the South. She even relocated to Louisville temporarily during the final years of her husband’s career as a commercial pilot. Joyce was an avid reader, an accomplished creative writer, an extraordinary cook and entertainer, and a lover of fine art. Wherever she lived, she forged long-lasting friendships through Book and Writing Clubs, hosting dinner parties, luncheons, and many unforgettable Kentucky Derby events. Once her children were firmly on their life paths, she embarked on a series of entrepreneurial projects that included designing and selling fine art for many of the major technology companies in Silicon Valley with her company, Art Accents, selling the unique jewelry of Louisville designer, Carlton Ridge and cultivating her talent for creative writing with classes and penning many essays, poems and short stories.
Joyce loved the sunshine and the beach, and many family holiday memories are deeply embedded in the beautiful homes she created and decorated in Saratoga, Louisville, Capitola, and Santa Cruz, as well as vacations she organized in nearby Pajaro Dunes. Traveling was a passion that fueled her curiosity for other cultures and cuisines, with Italy, Greece, Ireland, and Paris, France, some of her all-time favorite destinations. Joyce was an active community member with her volunteer work at the Daisy Auxiliary, an arm of the Family Service Association.
She was a loyal friend to many and, in recent years, a fiercely competitive Mahjong player to which her husband, grandchildren, and fellow Mahjong enthusiasts can attest. Her sense of humor knew no bounds, and her hearty laugh will forever ring in our ears. Her flair for fashion and self-confidence in her style was noticed and admired by all.
Joyce is survived by her loving husband of 62 years, Paul, and their four children, Tim (Frances) Browne of Walnut Creek, Sean (Kari) Browne of Salinas, Megan Browne of Belgium, and Katy (Michael) Stamos of San Jose, four beloved grandchildren: Zoe and Sara Stamos; Olivia Browne and Lucas Marquardt, their father, Stephan Marquardt of Belgium, her three sisters Jean (Jack, deceased in 2018) Hanley, Mary Carol (Judge) Mosley and Susie (Doug) DeGaris all of Louisville, Kentucky and countless nieces, nephews, and cousins all over the globe.
Friends and family are invited to join us for a Mass of Christian Burial at San Agustín parish (257 Glenwood Drive Scotts Valley, CA 95066) on 3 June at 11 am; followed by a Celebration of Life gathering at 1 pm at Scotts Valley Community Center (370 Kings Village Road, Scotts Valley, CA 95066).
Please send condolences to Paul and family at 225 Mt. Hermon Road, Space 158, Scotts Valley, CA 95066.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Joyce’s name to the Daisy Auxiliary (www.fsa-cc.org/daisy/), the Susan G. Komen for the Cure (www.komen.org) and/or the Precious Life Shelter (www.preciouslifeshelter.org)
Please visit www.scmemorial.com if you would like to light a candle of leave a message in Joyce’s honor.