Joyce M. Mankowsky, 91, of Turners Falls, MA passed away Thursday November 7th 2024, while on hospice at Charlene Manor in Greenfield.  
She will forever be in the hearts of her family who loved and cherished her deeply.  Joyce was loving, caring and supportive with a strong sense of faith.  
She lived a life where family, friends and faith were most important.  At every stage of her life, she made, nurtured and sustained close friendships.  She often attributed her long healthy life to her love of family, her friends, and her devotion to God.  She was always happy when friends and family stopped in to visit the family homestead in Turners Falls.  She would serve a cup of tea or coffee, homemade banana bread and the gift of gab to brighten everyone’s day. 
Joyce was born in Turners Falls, the second of four children to Clifford and Stella LaRoche.  She graduated from Turners Falls High School and Mercy School of Nursing in Springfield before meeting Ralph Mankowsky, the love of her life.  Joyce and Ralph met at the train station in Springfield where he had gone to pick up his sister Janet, who attended nursing school with Joyce.  It was love at first sight and they married and moved to Turners Falls. 
Joyce worked for many years at both the Farren Memorial Hospital and the Franklin Medical Center and loved working as a nurse, especially doing Telemetry in the Intensive Care Unit.  She loved the people she worked with and made many lifelong friendships at both hospitals.  She also did some private duty assignments and was the school nurse in Turners Falls for a period of time.  
Joyce loved her husband of 67 years, four children, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren with all her heart and soul.  She spent many years babysitting grandchildren after retiring from nursing.  Joyce avidly attended her children’s concerts, plays, and sporting events and even those of her grandchildren.  She decorated her home with pride for the holidays and loved having all the family together for whatever event or occasion.  She especially loved family domino games which could go on for hours and were great entertainment.  Joyce loved the ocean, family camping trips, shopping, going out to lunch with the girls, cooking, outings to the beach, bus trips with friends and once flew for a family excursion to Disney World.  
Joyce was a devoted member of Our Lady of Peace Church her entire life.  We hope she is happily with Ralph in heaven. 
She leaves Ralph (deceased 2023) four children: Marilyn (Mankowsky) Freedman (James) of Westwood, MA, James Mankowsky (Denise) of Erving, MA, Jane Mankowsky of Westwood, MA and Maureen (Mankowsky) Barisano (Donnie) of Greenfield, MA; seven grandchildren: Sarah Mailloux (Nick) of Erving, MA, Matthew Freedman (Sara) of Roswell, GA, Alexander Barisano (Brittany) of Greenfield, MA, Jeremy Mankowsky (Emma) of Quincy, MA, Andrew Barisano (Jackie) of Greenfield, MA, Trevor Mankowsky of Erving, MA, Alexandra Freedman of Westwood, MA and seven great grandchildren: Carmen, Cassidy, Teddy, Leo, Jack, Ava and Hayden. Joyce also leaves her brother Bob LaRoche of Holmes, NY.
Visitation will be held Wednesday November 20, 2024 from 8:30-9:30am at the Kostanski Funeral Home, 1 Kostanski Square, Turners Falls followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10am at Our Lady of Peace Church, 90 Seventh Street, Turners Falls, MA with the Rev. Stanley Aksamit, Pastor, officiating.  Burial will follow at St. Anne’s Cemetery in Turners Falls. 
For condolences, please visit www.kostanskifuneralhome.com.