Joyce K. (Dolloff) James

Joyce Katheryn James, 86, passed away peacefully on May 12, 2026. Born on April 16, 1940 in Beverly, Massachusetts, she was the beloved daughter of R. Erwin and Dorothy Dolloff, and was raised in the close-knit Ryal Side neighborhood of Beverly — a community she carried in her heart throughout her life.

A lifelong member of Immanuel Congregational Church in Ryal Side, Joyce was active in all aspects of church life, and her faith was a thread woven through everything she did. A graduate of Beverly High School, Class of 1958, she went on to spend her summers as a lifeguard at Obear Park, where summers on Beverly’s shore left her with stories she loved to tell for decades to come. While her children were in school, she volunteered as a librarian at McKay School in Beverly, sharing her love of reading with the children of her hometown. For many years she also helped shape the youngest learners at Tiny Tots Kindergarten in Middleton — the school of her beloved sister, Virginia “Ginny” Donovan — where her patience, warmth, and gentle spirit left an impression on hundreds of young lives.

Away from her work, Joyce treasured time spent on the shores of Bonnie Eagle Pond in Buxton, Maine, at the camp she and her family had built together. Those days on the water were among her most cherished, and the memories made there became part of the fabric of her family’s story.

After raising her children and watching over her grandchildren, Joyce moved to Essex, Vermont to be closer to her daughter Wendy and her family, where she had the joy of watching another generation of grandchildren grow into young adults. In her final chapter, she made her home at Haverhill Crossing in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where she quickly became a beloved fixture in the community — known to all as the reigning bingo wizard — and was surrounded by many wonderful and thoughtful friends who made her days bright.

She is survived by her children Scott James and his partner Rachel Crateau, Wendy James Morin and her husband Jeffrey Morin, and David James; her grandchildren Erin Palmer, Kyle James, Kathryn Morin, and Jamie Morin; and her great-grandchildren Eliot Palmer, Bryce Palmer, Riley James, and Cooper James. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Harry R. James, and her sister, Virginia “Ginny” Donovan.

Joyce was a loving mother, sister, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose warmth touched far more lives than she ever knew. She will be deeply missed and forever cherished by all who were fortunate enough to call her family.

An interment service is scheduled for June 20th at 11:00 a.m. Greenlawn Cemetery, Salem MA

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Friends of Beverly Recreation, Inc., P.O. Box 691, Beverly, MA 01915.

For those wishing to share memories of Joyce with her family, please visit www.cgfuneralhomrgeorgetown.com

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