Obituary of Joyce A. Fogle

Joyce Ann Fogle, age 61, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, died Monday, October 5, 2009. She spent her waning days cradled in the comfort of her original family home in Mason, Michigan, surrounded by her family. Joyce clung to life with hope, joy and courage since being diagnosed with brain cancer in February 2008. Joyce was born in Lansing, Michigan, on December 1, 1947, the second of six children of George and Helen (Bird) Fogle. She grew up on the family farm near Mason, Michigan, graduated from Michigan State University, and then moved to Anchorage, Alaska, to continue her life's adventures as a teacher of young children. Joyce loved the outdoor life in Alaska, enjoying skiing, sailing, kayaking, hiking, camping, and bicycling.Joyce loved children and expressed this love all her life as a camp counselor, a kindergarten teacher in Alaska and Colorado, and as a stepmother, favorite aunt and grandmother.Joyce was an extraordinarily talented artist and designer, primarily as a fiber artist and maker of wearable art. In the early 1980's she began Joyce Fogle Studio, which produced designer jackets and accessories marketed to boutiques and galleries nationwide. Her unique garments, which have brought joy to many, remain a tangible manifestation of her creative spirit. The business continues today under new ownership as Hopestone Studio. She also expressed her creativity through gardening.Joyce and Roderick Harwood met in Alaska in the early 1980's and they married in 1990 on the Fogle farm in Mason. They traveled widely and played hard, creating many adventures based on their common interests. Surviving are her husband Roderick Harwood, his daughters Karen Harwood and Anne Bormann and grandsons, Garrick and Tristan Bormann; her father George Fogle and stepmother Betty; her sister Barbara Mercer and husband Douglas and their son Todd and wife Twila and their daughters Erica and Emily, son Andrew, daughter Megan and husband Wyl McCully, daughter Laura Min and husband Robert Kollar; her sister Carol Grant and husband Ronald and their daughter Heather, son Brian and his wife Jessica; her brother Donald and wife Judy and their daughter Lisa and husband Paul Sachs and their daughter Helen, daughter Amanda and husband Matthew Jones and their daughter, Amber, and son Duke; her brother Richard and wife Debbie and their daughters Karly and Samantha; her sister Mary Douglass and husband Greg and their daughter Kayla and son Drew; and Rod's sisters, Barbara Harwood and Dorothy Harwood and their families.Joyce's ashes will be interred in the family plot at Leek Cemetery in Alaiedon Township, Michigan. A celebration of Joyce's life will be held on Monday, October 19 at 11 AM in the woods at Fogle Farms, a spot she dearly loved. (In case of inclement weather the celebration will be held at Alaiedon Township Hall.) Arrangements for the handling of Joyce's body have been made through the Cremation Society of Michigan (www.cremationmichigan.com); this obituary is also available at this website.Additional reflections on Joyce's life, and opportunity to send condolences, are available on the web at joyfog.blogspot.com. Memorial contributions may be directed to the National Brain Tumor Society, (www.braintumor.org), or a charity of your choice.