Joyce Marie Pickett

Joyce Marie Pickett, age 92, of LaPorte, Indiana, passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by the love of her family, on Sunday morning, August 23, 2026.

Joyce was born on July 9, 1934, in Brooks, Indiana, to the late Gilbert and Sophia (Whaley) Weston. She graduated from Mt. Ayr High School in 1952. In 1960, Joyce married the love of her life, Howard Pickett. Together they built a life centered around family, hard work, and the simple joys of being together. Howard preceded her in death in 1992.

For 34 years, Joyce worked in food service for New Prairie Schools, beginning as a cook and eventually becoming the food service manager. Her work was about much more than preparing meals; Joyce genuinely loved being around the children she served. Even after retiring, she found that she missed them so much that she returned to work part-time. Her many years with the school reflected the same qualities she brought to her family—dependability, generosity, a strong work ethic, and a desire to care for others.

Joyce was a woman of Catholic faith and a member of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in New Carlisle.

Above all else, Joyce was the matriarch of her family. Her home was the gathering place, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, when she prepared the food and welcomed everyone around her table year after year. Cooking for the people she loved was one of the many ways Joyce showed her affection, and her fresh homemade cinnamon rolls were an especially treasured family favorite. She believed in doing things for the people she loved, and nothing brought her greater happiness than having her family together.

She also had a special fondness for Halloween and delighted in decorating her home each year for trick-or-treaters. Joyce loved lighthouses and accumulated quite a collection over the years. When she had a little quiet time, she could often be found working on a puzzle. A true “puzzle wizard,” Joyce would spend hours fitting together the pieces—and anything with fewer than 1,000 pieces simply was not enough of a challenge for her.

Joyce shared an especially close bond with her brothers and sisters throughout her life, and that devotion to family extended to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She treasured being part of their lives and remained deeply connected to those she loved.

Strong-willed, spirited, and lovingly described as a “spitfire,” Joyce knew her own mind and was never afraid to show it. Even as her family wanted to care for her, she never wanted anyone making a fuss over her. That fierce independence was simply part of who she was—a woman of strength and determination who spent far more time worrying about and caring for everyone else than she ever wanted them to spend worrying about her.

Joyce is survived by her five children, Robert Pickett (Jacqui), Richard Pickett (Janice), Linda Lowery (William), Lisa Choate, and Lori Pickett Glindmeier; sisters, Mary Potts and Martha Bain; 13 grandchildren, Marco, Alicia, Kevin, Katie, Jared, Rachel, Nicole, Amanda, Tony, Craig, Michael, Tiara, and Ally; 20 great-grandchildren; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gilbert and Sophia Weston; her husband, Howard Pickett; three brothers, Glen Weston, Wayne Weston, and William Weston; and her sister, Virginia.

A graveside service will take place at Riverside Cemetery in Brook, Indiana, on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.

Joyce leaves behind a family shaped by her strength, nourished by her care, and filled with memories created around her table and in her home. Her legacy can be found in holiday gatherings, the aroma of homemade cinnamon rolls, a challenging puzzle spread across the table, Halloween decorations waiting for little trick-or-treaters, and the countless traditions she lovingly kept alive. Though the matriarch of the family will be deeply missed, the love Joyce poured so freely into generations of her family will remain a lasting part of all who were fortunate enough to call her their own.