Joyce Adelle Wood, 92, St. Cloud

May 18, 1925 - January 31, 2018

Joyce Adelle Wood, age 92, St. Cloud, MN died Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud, MN.

Funeral service will be Friday, February 2, 2018 at 3:30 PM at Benson Funeral Home Chapel, St. Cloud, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home on Friday. Burial will be in Center Grove Cemetery, Douglas, MN on Saturday at 11:00 AM.

Joyce Wood was born May 18, 1925 to Dorris W. and Blanche E. (Watkins) Wilton. She married James H. Wood on September 14, 1947 in Alton, IL. Joyce Wood's lifelong identity was that of an outstanding musician and teacher. She often accompanied her husband, James, a professional singer, in his many concerts and recitals. Joyce taught what her family believes is a world record 72 consecutive years of piano lessons. Her attention to detail, to proper musicianship, and most especially to the personal care and development of every individual child was her hallmark. She made the world more beautiful one note, one lesson, one student at a time. Joyce was not born into a musical family, but her lifelong love of music began with her own piano lessons in her hometown of Alton, IL starting at the age of seven. Joyce also taught many of her own grandchildren, in whom the love of music continues to this day. Joyce held a Bachelor's degree from The University of Iowa and a Master's from The University of South Dakota.

In her youth, Joyce was a dancer, a runner, could throw and catch a baseball with the boys, and served as the pianist in an otherwise all male high school dance band known as "Ten Hellcats and a Kitten." From the age of eight she accompanied her beloved daddy, mother, and brother on annual trips from southern Illinois to a wonderful land called "Up North" in Minnesota. These family fishing trips continued throughout her life, a tradition passed on to each new generation. One of her proudest achievements was catching and landing a ten-pound Northern Pike off Echo Island in the family fishing grounds of Lake Kabetogama.

Joyce also nurtured a lifelong love of baseball, which she inherited from her dad, Dorris, a semi-pro ballplayer. They would listen together to every broadcast of the St. Louis Cardinals, keeping scorecards of the play by play. In later years, Joyce faithfully cheered on her adopted Minnesota Twins, though thick and thin.

For the last three years of her life Joyce resided at Country Manor in Sartell, where she received care and affection that she deeply appreciated.

Survivors include her three sons, Douglas (Kathy) Wood of Sartell, MN; Dr. Bruce (Brooke) Wood of Anchorage, AK, and Thomas (Linda) Wood of Fort Wayne, IN; seven grandchildren, Eric Wood, Bryan Wood, Elizabeth Ashantiva, Rachel (Tony) Thoennes, Matthew Wood, Philip Wood, and James Richard Wood; and eleven great grandchildren.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dr. James Wood, and one brother, Dorris Wilbur Wilton.

Pallbearers will be her grandchildren.