Joyce Marie Weaver Nolt

Joyce Marie Weaver Nolt, wife, mother, grandmother, and community volunteer, passed away on May 25, surrounded by her family. She was born on May 29, 1940 in Lancaster, the oldest of five children, to her belated parents, Davis Kitch Weaver and Evelyn Pfautz Weaver. She is survived by her loving husband, Samuel, of 64 years. They were married at the F & M Chapel in Lancaster on May 26, 1962. She was a devoted teacher for nearly 30 years, retiring as an Instructional Support Teacher, Mountville Elementary School, in the Hempfield School District in 2002. A Lancaster native, she attended the Lancaster City schools, and graduated from J.P. McCaskey in 1958 as a triple award winner, among those the coveted American Legion Award. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education, cum laude, as an award winner from Millersville State College in May 1962. She received her Master of Gifted Education degree, summa cum laude, in May 1985. Joyce was a passionate and tireless community volunteer. She served as president of the J.P. McCaskey Alumni Association from 2015 to 2020, a member of the board since 1994 and received the Susan Garofola Service Award in October 2019 for her outstanding service. A Class agent for her McCaskey Class of 1958, Joyce chaired her graduating class’ reunions every five years and chaired annual reunions until the 65th in 2023. Her involvement with Millersville University included previous Alumni Board secretary and chair of the Nominating & Awards Committee. She also received an Outstanding Volunteer Award from MU for her Board service. Joyce was an active member of Lititz Moravian Church and sang in the senior choir since 2015. Since childhood, she had been actively involved with the Lancaster Moravian Church as a choir member, Sunday school teacher and elder. Joyce also was a long-time member of the Lancaster Country Club, where she played golf with the 9-hole women golfers and chaired the Duck Pin Bowling Team. She was a participating sustaining member of the Lancaster Junior League, served as placement chairman from 1980-82, and chaired the Lancaster Junior League project for the Renovated Children’s Room of the Lancaster Library. Joyce held other leadership roles in Lancaster, including working as a Rohrerstown Elementary School parent volunteer/project chairman for the 200th U.S.A. Anniversary celebration; a docent for the North Museum; a Board/secretary member and Holly Trail chairman of the American Association of University Women; and a volunteer for the Lancaster YWCA, the Hempfield Education Foundation, the Friendship Garden Club, and Lancaster Education Foundation. During her children’s Scouting years, Joyce served as a Cub Scout leader and Girl Scout leader. After retiring from teaching, she helped out in the classroom at Mountville Elementary for 15 years. Joyce’s passion for children began in her early years of babysitting and taking responsibility for her 4 younger siblings. She was an active member of Job’s Daughters and Y-Teens at the Lancaster YWCA, worked as a Lancaster Recreation Playground supervisor, Brookside Day Camp counselor, and Furnace Hills Girl Scout Camp counselor. Joyce enjoyed working part-time over the holidays for Watt & Shand in the gift-wrapping department. At McCaskey High School, she served as head cheerleader, on National Honor Society, and as Vidette newspaper and Echo yearbook editors among her many activities. She received the Lancaster Teacher Association scholarship to attend Millersville State Teachers’ College in 1958. While a student at Millersville, she continued as a cheerleader, and was the Snapper Newspaper co-editor. She was named to “Who’s Who at Millersville” during her senior year. Joyce was also elected as president of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s College-University Division during the 1960-61 term, an honor which involved the newspaper convention planning in New York City. Her most memorable moment in that position was receiving personal correspondence from Eleanor Roosevelt. Joyce was honored with five queen titles, mainly from her voting peers: Edward Hand Junior High Schpooknacht Queen in 1954; Lancaster YMCA Canteen Queen in 1956; Franklin & Marshall College Homecoming Queen in 1959; F & M Chi Phi Sweetheart Queen in 1960; and Miss WSBA Land in 1961-62, where she was delighted to preside over local record hops with WSBA disc jockeys. Joyce met her future husband as a teenager at YWCA Hangout dances and they married the day after she graduated from college and moved to Augusta, Georgia, where Sam was serving the Army Signal Corp School. She taught third grade at Jackson Elementary School, Jackson, SC, for one year, 1962-63. Many of her students found her on Facebook in 2011, visited her in person on Hilton Head Island, and kept in touch with her ever since. As a tribute to this first-year teaching experience, Joyce submitted an ”I Know a Story” article to the Lancaster newspapers, which detailed the vernacular “war of words” between the Southern and the PA Dutch dialects in the classroom. After moving back to Lancaster, Joyce taught third grade at Lafayette School from 1963-68 and returned to part-time education in 1972 with a Lancaster-Lebanon IU #13 Gifted Program in Hempfield. For 10 years, she created and published a newspaper for gifted sixth graders, called “Sixth Sense.” After receiving her Masters in Gifted Education, Joyce worked full-time for Lancaster-Lebanon I U #13, based in grades one through six at Mountville and Farmdale schools in Hempfield. In 1989 she went back to the classroom at Landisville Intermediate School to teach fourth grade and after 5 years, took a position as Instructional Support Teacher at Mountville. She ended her career in education after 9 years in that position. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees since 2002. A breast cancer survivor since December 1981, Joyce volunteered with the American Cancer Society by making patient visitations. In 1991, she then created and chaired the Lancaster ACS “Runway to Recovery Fashion Show” for breast cancer patients. This fundraiser took place over seven years, and gave breast cancer survivors an opportunity to bond with others and share their experiences with the supporting public. She again fought breast cancer 42 years later in 2023, and managed her recovery with radiation therapy. Her breast cancer returned in 2024 as metastatic breast cancer, which she bravely fought for a little more than two years. Joyce loved to read; travel; garden; play bridge, Mahjongg, and golf; and attend Broadway musicals. She was a long-time member of a duplicate bridge group and a book group, where she formed many lasting friendships. She found great joy in her shared love for others --friends, relatives, and especially her 4 grandchildren. She adored the beach, and spending time with her grandchildren at Hebron, CT; Laguna Beach, CA; Harbor Springs, MI; and Hilton Head, SC. Her most favorite trips abroad were to Egypt with retired teacher friends where she was thrilled to visit the Valley of the Kings and a special trip to Bermuda with only her granddaughter, Allison. Other favorite travel locations included Nags Head, NC; and the Hawaiian Islands. She accompanied Sam to the American Spice Trade Association meetings, representing J.L. Clark, Co., for 20 years. Joyce also loved feeding her “resident” bluebirds, a passion discovered after moving to Lititz. She is survived by her loving daughter, Kristin Marie Nolt Wingard, and son-in-law, Larry Wingard, South Pasadena, CA; daughter-in-law, Lisa Shannon Nolt, Hebron, CT; and four beloved grandchildren, Allison K. Nolt, Ryan M. Nolt, Jackson W. Wingard, and Samuel K. Wingard. Also surviving are her twin sisters, Suzanne Weaver Peters, (Harry), and Joanne Weaver, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She is preceeded in death by her son Timothy David Nolt, for whom in 2011 they established a memorial scholarship awarded annually to two outstanding Hempfield Senior Academic-Athletes; her sister Jerilyn Weaver McLain, and brother Davis E. Weaver. Joyce’s Funeral Service will be held at Lititz Moravian Congregation, 8 Church Square, Lititz, PA 17543 on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Sayward E. G. Lippincott officiating. A Visitation will be held at The Groffs Family Funeral Home, 528 W. Orange St. Lancaster, PA 17603 on Wednesday June 10, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. A private interment will be held at Lititz Moravian Congregation Cemetery. Contributions may be made in Joyce’s memory to Lititz Moravian Church, 8 Church Square, Lititz; or the American Cancer Society, Lancaster Chapter, 314 Good Drive, Lancaster, PA 17603.

Joyce Marie Weaver Nolt

May 25, 2026