BEAVER DAM, Ky. — Joyce Townsley, 83, of Beaver Dam, was welcomed to her Heavenly home by her husband and loved ones on Monday, July 14, 2025. Joyce Caroline Dillender was born June 23, 1942, in Livermore, Kentucky, to the late Franklin and Ovie Elizabeth Blades Dillender. This is where Joyce met the love of her life, Roy Townsley, and they were married on Sept. 8, 1959.
Joyce enjoyed traveling whether it was with her family and friends, her bowling team, or her church family. A highlight in her life was living in Arizona where she worked as a telephone operator and she enjoyed her job so much, that she transferred to Bell South in Owensboro, Kentucky, when they moved back to Kentucky.
Joyce enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, working on the farm side by side with her husband, reading, gardening, and canning. However, her most loved hobby was bowling with her sister. She bowled in various leagues, was active in her church, in her community, and had a knack for making everyone feel welcome.
Joyce had many blessings in her life; the greatest being able to care for her husband of 51 years, raising her two sons, and helping to raise her granddaughter.
In addition to her parents, Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Allen Townsley, who died on Aug. 23, 2011; her sister, Nancy Clark Hicks, who died in 2022; and several sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
Those left to cherish her memory are her two sons, Alan Townsley (Jamie), of Beaver Dam, and Carmen Townsley, of Owensboro; a granddaughter, Carolyn Williamson (James) of Beaver Dam; three stepgrandchildren, Elizabeth Hayes, Matthew Castorena, and Lane Castorena, all of Beaver Dam; a niece, Nila Edge, of Owensboro; a great-niece, Nancy Banker (Ryan), of Livermore; a great-nephew, Tom Edge (Tara), of Edgewood, Kentucky; and a sister-in-law, Holly Bolton, of Jonesborough, Tennessee. And let’s not forget the many, many, more nieces, nephews, and friends whom she also considered family.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 19, at Muster Funeral Homes, Livermore Chapel. Burial will be in the Sunnyside Cemetery in Beaver Dam. Friends may visit with Joyce’s family from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday at Musters in Livermore.
Joyce’s services will be streamed live on musterfuneralhomes.com at 3 p.m. Saturday.
The Joyce Townsley family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Carmel Thome; 2501 Old Hartford Road; Owensboro, KY 42303 or HPC Heartford House; 2914 Old Hartford Road; Owensboro, KY 42303.
Joyce’s family would like to thank the staff at Carmel Home and Heartford House for their love, compassion and care.
Share your memories and photos of Joyce at musterfuneralhomes.com.
