Joyce Mattix Byrne, 73, of Great Falls, Montana, died June 16th, 2024, in Billings Clinic Hospital after a massive stroke. She was holding her husband’s hand when she passed.
Joyce was born March 12, 1951, in Dillon, MT to Ed and Pat (Phillips) Mattix. They moved to Great Falls when she was a young child. After graduating from Great Falls High in 1969, she went on to Billings to get her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Eastern Montana College, now MSU Billings. She graduated college in three years and worked at Rimrock Elementary after graduation.
Joyce married her high school sweetheart June 15, 1974. They started their married life in Billings, Montana and moved back to the Great Falls area in 1975 where she continued to specialize in Special Education.
She started the special education program at Centerville Public Schools where she worked for several years before continuing on to North Central Learning Resource Center where she enjoyed traveling and working in the remote schools and loved working with the Hutterite colony schools. During her years of teaching, she also worked at Big Stone Colony for years as the Resource teacher where she made and enjoyed many friends.
Joyce and Pat were a solid team and built their forever home south of Great Falls where she enjoyed teaching her kids to catch frogs and snakes, always encouraging them as they came into adulthood and spending any time she could with grandkids taking them on adventures. Joyce loved her family fiercely and some of her favorite times were camping at “The Pond” with her husband, kids and grandkids (and grand-dogs).
She was full of faith in God, loved unconditionally, artistic, and always there to help and support and love, no matter what.
She is preceded in death by her parents, and some good friends. She leaves behind her husband of 50 years, Patrick Byrne of Great Falls, Daughter Amanda (Jason) Meeker of Great Falls, Son Tyler (Stacey) Byrne, and beloved Grandchildren Zak and Luke Meeker, Lane and Cali Byrne.
Celebration of Life is to be held Saturday, July 13, 2024, 2:00pm at Victory Church. Memorials are suggested to Victory Church, 3001 13th St. South, Great Falls, MT.
