Joyce Ann Lilie

1941 – 2021

Joyce Lilie died peacefully in her sleep July 8, 2021 at her home in Winter Park, Florida.  Joyce was born Joyce Ann Rohr on July 4, 1941 in the Dailey, West Virginia Homestead house first occupied by her grandparents in 1934. She is survived by her husband of 56 years, Stuart A. Lilie.  She is also survived by her brother-in-law Lyle Lilie and his wife Elizabeth McCosh-Lilie of Ashford, Connecticut; sister-in-law Janice Rohr of Cumberland, Maryland; cousin Sharon Herbach Cox who now lives in the Dailey Homestead house; nephews Brad and Rudy Rohr of Ceredo, West Virginia; cousins Mike McConnell, Sally Dupin and Betty Dyer from Northern Kentucky; and cousins Alan Rowold, Paul Rowold and Gail Metzler from St. Louis.  She will be missed by her many friends here and in Miami who have become part of her virtual family.

Joyce attended the Homestead school and Elkins High in the 1950s.  She received her BA degree from Marshall University and her doctorate in Political Science from The Johns Hopkins University in 1970.  In graduate school she met Stuart and they were married in 1965.

Her first teaching position was at the University of Missouri St. Louis before moving to Florida in 1972.  She taught 13 years at Florida International University and moved to the University of Central Florida as Political Science chair in 1985.  She also served for several years as acting chair of the UCF Art Department. While a respected and effective administrator her first love was teaching. She taught a variety of courses in American politics, along with classes in both media and politics and women in politics. Under her mentorship many of her students went on to professional careers, including law, politics and academia.  She retired from UCF in 2004.

In early 2020 Joyce and Stuart moved to a villa in the Westminster Winter Park retirement community where she met new friends and neighbors in spite of the Covid restrictions.

Memorials may be directed to Pet Rescue by Judy in Sanford, Florida and The Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

There will be an informal celebration of Joyce's life on Saturday August 7th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the St. Richard's Parish Hall, 5151 Lake Howell Road, Winter Park, Florida.

You are invited to sign the guest register (tribute wall).