Obituary of Joyce Marie Harrington Stottler

Joyce Marie Harrington Stottler, 88, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Joyce, the daughter of the late Wesley and Doris Harrington, was born April 21, 1935, in Washington, DC. She graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland in 1953 and then attended the University of Western Maryland where she graduated with a B.S. in Home Economics and General Science in 1957, summa cum laude. In her senior year of college, she met her future husband, Richard Husted Stottler, Jr., whom she married in 1959.

Besides her family, the passions in Joyce’s life were the performing arts, literature, and education. In high school and college, she acted in several plays and later in the 1960s and 1970s engaged in the writing, acting, and creation of puppets for the traveling puppet shows for elementary age children sponsored by the Cocoa Beach Women’s Club. Joyce’s enthusiasm for the performing arts included attending various events such as Shakespeare in the Park with her friends and family. Joyce loved to read from an early age and liked all genres. She typically read multiple books at the same time. Her love of literature and education were combined when she earned two master's degrees from the University of Central Florida – one in Education and the other in English. Early in her teaching career, Joyce taught junior high, and when Rick was stationed in France, she taught kindergarten at the American Air Force base where they were located, and afterwards pre-school at her parents’ Kiddieland School until her daughter, Michele, was born. She was a pillar of the Sunday School program at Cocoa Beach Community Church and taught for many years. She served as the Director of Education multiple times on the church board. Later in life, she taught writing and literature at Brevard Community College and the Florida Institute of Technology. She was also an avid Bridge player, an accomplished seamstress, an active church member of Cocoa Beach Community Church serving as President of the Church Board and President of Women’s Fellowship, and an active member of Cocoa Beach Women’s Club serving in several roles including President.

Joyce was pre-deceased by her husband, Rick, and is the beloved mother of her three children, Michele (Jeff Budrow), Dick Stottler (Andrea), and Lori (Daniel Green); and beloved grandmother of her five grandchildren and their spouses, Chris Budrow and Jill Middendorf, Rebecca Budrow, Natalie Stottler and David Saltzman, Aurora Stottler, and Taylor LaBour.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Friends of Cocoa Beach Library, Brevard Humane Society, or Cocoa Beach Community Church. Funeral services will be held 1:00 pm, Friday, June 9th at Cocoa Beach Community Church. A lunch will be held following the service in Sponsler Hall at the church. Private family internment will follow at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Cemetery on Merritt Island. You may sign the guest book at beckman-willamson.com.