Mary Joyce Wilcox

Mary Joyce Wilcox, 84, of Greenbrier, passed away Thursday, December 10 in Waldron. She was born November 8, 1936, in Acklin Gap, Arkansas, to Johnnie Shaw Newberry and Winfield Weldon Newberry. Mary Joyce was raised in Holland, Arkansas, and graduated from Greenbrier High School in 1954. She married the love of her life, Jimmie Wayne Wilcox, on November 7, 1953. She and Jimmie lived at Fort Hood, Texas, while Jimmie was in the Army. Unto this union were born two children: Johnny Wayne and Jimmie Morris. Mary Joyce and Jimmie encouraged and supported each other. They were married for 56 years. Mary Joyce was a switchboard operator with Alltel for 25 years. She enjoyed her career and her coworkers. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Mary Joyce had a quick wit and loved all kinds of brain teasers. She loved the Daily Cryptoquote in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, crosswords, puzzles, and sudoku. Mary Joyce was an expert at Wheel of Fortune. She enjoyed watching basketball and to keep up with March Madness each year. Mary Joyce enjoyed meals with her loved ones (breakfast most of all). She loved to read romance novels – in fact, she read two in one sitting the day after Thanksgiving this year. She passed on her love of reading to her grandchildren. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Johnny Wayne Wilcox and wife Jamie of Greenbrier, and Jimmie Morris Wilcox and wife Phyllis of Waldron; her grandchildren, Jessie Wilcox of Greenbrier, Stephen Jones and wife Ana of Pea Ridge, and Amie Wilcox Alexander of Little Rock; her great-grandchildren, Layla and Lane Jones of Pea Ridge; her sisters-in-law, Rosemary Wilcox Ulry of Greenbrier, and Jewel Wilcox Loveless and husband Gene of Conway; close cousins Jan Smith and Frank Shaw, and several nieces, nephews and many friends. Mary Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jimmie; two brothers, Weldon Newberry, and wife Earnstine, and Oneal; her brother-in-law Freddie Wilcox; and her sisters-in-law Oneida Wilcox Milam and husband J. M. "Son," and Joy Wilcox. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, December 14 at the Springhill Baptist Church Cemetery in Greenbrier. Attendees are asked to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. While there will be no formal family visitation, the Roller-McNutt Funeral Home will be open Sunday, December 13 for those loved ones who wish to pay their respects. Honorary Pallbearers are Jessie Wilcox, Amie Wilcox Alexander, Stephen Jones, Terry Milam, Freddie Mark Wilcox, Mary Jane Fulmer, Cody Fulmer, Chris Strauss, Jeanne Seewald, Gene Loveless, Scott Newberry, and Richard Newberry. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Springhill Baptist Church Cemetery Fund and the Oakland Methodist Church Cemetery Fund. The family wishes to thank the staff of Dalton's Place Assisted Living Facility and Mercy Hospital Waldron for the superb care that was given to our beloved Mary Joyce. Online guest book: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/greenbrier.