Joyce Richards

Joyce Lynn Richards, nee Joyce Lynn Moore, (fka Joyce Lynn Banacka) was born May 10, 1940, in Dallas, Texas, to Oscar C. Moore and Evelyn L. (Gleghorn) Moore.

She graduated in 1958 From Tuloso-Midway High School, Corpus Christi and after high school, she met and married Donald L. Banacka and traveled the world with him during his Naval career, living in Bermuda, Guam, and on both coasts of the USA.

They had three children, Donna, Lawrence (Larry), and Karen.

She and Don divorced in 1979 and life took her to Brownsville, Hawkins, Matagorda Island, Bastrop, and finally Odem, Texas.

In 1981 she married her cowboy, Joseph Edward Richards, and they spent 15 years on Matagorda Island as cook/housekeeper, cowboy, and caretakers for the Star Brand Cattle Co., Toddie Lee Wynne family, and Texas Nature Conservancy, until they retired in 1995. Joyce and Joe were married for 39 years.

Joyce loved her family, hummingbirds, cryptogram puzzles, baking for market each week, and was especially close to her nieces, Michelle and Amanda. She was a voracious reader, reading a chapter in her Bible every day and always had a novel at hand. Joyce lost Joe on September 28, 2020, and was lost without him.

Joyce leaves her children, Donna (Don) Reckner, Larry Banacka, and Karen Banacka; nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren, her sister Nancy (Danny) Weaver, her brother, Olan (Judy) Moore, and many friends and family who will miss her.