Joyce Packard

Joyce Hornaday Packard, passed away August 31, 2023, in Waco, Texas. A service to celebrate her life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 2, at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, visitation will be in the Church, prior to the service at 9:00 a.m. A graveside service will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 7, at Oakland Memorial Cemetery in Fordyce, Arkansas. Livestream of the Church service will be available at https://cabcwaco.org/specialstream.

Joyce was born June 21, 1925, in Fordyce, Arkansas, one of seven children to Nora Wright and John Wesley Hornaday. After graduating from Fordyce High School and attending business school, Joyce entered Baylor University, earning BS (1952) and MA (1957) degrees. While serving as Baylor's Assistant Dean of Women, she met Dr. Robert G. "Bob" Packard, and they were married on April 15, 1954, by then university president, Dr. W. R. White.

Joyce's contributions in the field of education were varied and widespread. At Baylor, she was a teacher, the Assistant Dean of Women, and Dean of Women. For twenty-three years at Richfield High School, she was student counselor and supervisor of Baylor student teachers. The Packards spent two years in Indonesia, where Bob taught in a medical school and Joyce was an active volunteer in many areas in the local community, including teaching English. She and Bob also spoke at fifteen universities in the Far East for the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board. During the summer of 1976, while Bob was a biophysics consultant to the Malaysian government, Joyce served as teacher and consultant at the University of Malaysia. In 1990, she and Bob were members of an international delegation to China as part of the Citizen Ambassador Program.

Joyce has been noted in the following publications: Who's Who of American Women; Two Thousand Women of Achievement; Notable American Women; Personalities of the South; Presidents and Deans of American Colleges and Universities; Who's Who in American School Administration; Who's Who in the South and Southwest; Who's Who Among Human Services Professionals; and Who's Who in the World.

Joyce's love of adventure and young people was equaled only by her love of Waco. She enjoyed all her volunteer activities, having difficulty saying no when asked to serve. Her prayer each day was, "Lord, help me to see what you want me to be, to expect the miracles of your grace in all I am called to be." She was a member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church and longtime teacher in the college Sunday school department. In 1987, she helped organize the Waco Welcome Corps. Her extensive community leadership roles included serving as president of WISD Education Foundation, Historic Waco Foundation, Brazos, Forum, Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board, Waco Literary Club, and Delta Kappa Gamma, Epsilon Chi Chapter. She was a contributing member of the Waco Library Task Force, Brazos Higher Education Board of Directors, Leadership Waco Alumni Association, Waco Women's Symphony Council, Waco Vision 20/20 Committee, Waco's 150 Celebration Committee, Dr Pepper Museum Associates, Keep Waco Beautiful, Art Center Associates, Waco Zoo Society, Waco Lyric Opera, PEO, and Teen Leadership Advisory Committee. At Baylor, Joyce was an active leader of Baylor Round Table, Mayborn Museum, and Baylor Alumni Association, and cosponsor, with Bob, of Kappa Omega Tau. She and Bob were members of the Old Main Society, 1845 Society, Baylor Bear Foundation, and Baylor Tip-Off Club.

Joyce's leadership was recognized with the First Annual Waco Hospitality Award, Delta Kappa Gamma International Alpha State Achievement Award, Pathfinder Award, Athena Award, Waco Leadership Alumni Award, Waco Convention and Tourism Board Recognition, DAR Community Service Award, Bluebonnet Girl Scout Woman of Distinction Award, and the Distinguished WISD Retired Faculty Award. From Baylor, Joyce received the W. R. White Meritorious Service Award and the Abner V. McCall Service Award.

Preceding Joyce in death were her parents, John Wesley Hornaday and Nora Wright; her husband of 64 years, Robert G. Packard; sisters, Maggie Hornaday, Marseille Smith, and Virginia Bradberry; and brothers, Utah Hornaday, Benoid Hornaday, and Dan Hornaday; and niece, Susan Hornaday.

She is survived by nieces, June Bierbaum, of Warren, Arkansas, Nancy Hornaday of Little Rock, Arkansas, Linda West of Fordyce, Arkansas, and Diane Mizell of Little Rock, Arkansas; nephews, Jerry Bradberry of McMinville, Tennessee, and Jimmy Hornaday of Fordyce, Arkansas; and numerous grand nieces and nephews, including Dr. Anna Myers and her husband, Dr. David Myers, of Woodway, Texas, who provided loving care to the Packards.

The family expresses their deep appreciation for the special kindnesses given to Joyce this past year by the staff of The Delaney at Lake Waco, Visiting Angels, Interim Hospice, and by her attentive friends, particularly Greta Watson, Rick and Carolyn Brophy, Ben and Kathy Hagins, Larry and Kim Smith, Truett and Julie Webster, and Michael and Karen Baldwin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Robert G. and Joyce Hornaday Packard Endowed Scholars Fund at Baylor University, One Bear Place #97050, Waco, TX 76798; Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, PO Box 345, Waco, TX 76703; WISD Education Foundation, 501 Franklin Avenue, Waco, TX 76701; and Historic Waco Foundation, 810 S 4th St, Waco, TX 76706.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.