Joyce McClanahan

Joyce Marie McClanahan was born April 11, 1951, in Kirksville, Missouri to parents, Orie Burdette McClanahan and Betty Irene (Bauer) McClanahan. She passed peacefully from this life in Kirksville on March 14, 2025, at the age of 73, after several months of illness. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Marvin L. McClanahan and first cousin Jerry Bauer. She is survived by her sister-in-law Rebecca Payne McClanahan, nephews Andrew L. McClanahan (Astrid) and Bryan A. McClanahan (Marina Cramer), and great niece Amélie McClanahan and great nephews Leo Cramer-McClanahan and Tycho Cramer-McClanahan. She is survived by first cousins Judy Bauer Bulson (Merrill), Cheryl McClanahan Cozette (Steven), Gary B. McClanahan (Sheila) and Steven Townsend (Susan Butchness). She was thrilled to meet Steven for the first time in 2021. A host of other cousins also survive. Cousins Carolyn Coffman and Donald Cooper were especially attentive during the last few months of Joyce’s life. Joyce started working at Dairy Queen while a teenager and then spent a 45-year career in manufacturing production at Hollister, Incorporated. There she moved among departments as needs shifted and as the manufacturing process became digitized and transitioned to robotics. She remained friends with many treasured co-workers after her retirement in 2017. Joyce’s life was defined by her love of music. She began playing some tunes on the piano by the age of 3 and soon started piano lessons with her mother as her teacher. She began accompanying choirs, soloists and other musicians as a 7th grader, a role she would continue throughout much of her adult life. As an accompanist she could adjust instantly to cover a skipped measure or a wrong note. Her ability to play by ear and to read music was appreciated by many choir directors with whom she served, and they in-turn, challenged her to sharpen her skills and expand her repertoire. Directors appreciated that she arrived to rehearsals early and well-rehearsed. She was the long-time pianist at the Nazarene Church in Kirksville and would often select medleys of traditional hymns to present as offertories that were always appreciated by her audience. She began singing at church as a two-year-old and then began singing harmony at the age of four, while her older brother, Marvin, sang melody. She had “perfect pitch,” and she recalled, as a10 year old, pulling a hymnal from the shelf and singing page after page of songs she had never heard. Joyce and Marvin sang together and with others at church or in high school choir or small groups. After Marvin and Rebecca were married, the three of them formed The McClanahan Trio, singing together at church and other events or concerts. Joyce curated the music and played accompaniment for the Trio, and would usually sing alto, or she would cue Marvin with a subtle gesture to switch parts befitting their vocal range. Joyce was a diehard fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, watching every game and following the stats of her favorite players. She was thrilled to attend her first game at the age of 65, when she received tickets, a jersey and a hat as a birthday gift. The day was made more special as she was joined by her beloved Uncle Burl McClanahan, cousins Cheryl and Steve, and Marvin and Rebecca. Joyce will be missed by those who appreciated her daily coffee greeting on Facebook and her quick responses to any inquiry posted by others, especially those regarding the history of Kirksville. She did love her coffee! Prior to Facebook she was well-known among extended family and friends for her faithfulness in sending birthday cards, but those were mostly replaced by Facebook greetings, with emojis. She loved baking cookies and sharing them with others: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and her signature cookie – Snickerdoodles. Her potato salad was always a hit. Her nephews and their children were her pride and joy. At the time of her death, she was a member of First United Methodist Church in Kirksville. A gathering of family and friends from near and far will be planned at a later date. Contributions in Joyce’s honor are suggested to the Marvin L. McClanahan Communication Scholarship at Truman State University. Online contributions can be made here.