Robert W “Bob” Joyce passed away peacefully at home in Pacific Palisades on Monday, December 31, at the age of 93.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 16, 1925, he served in the United States Navy in World War II as a signalman on a destroyer escort seeing action in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific theaters of operation.
After being discharged from Navy in 1946, he attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst earning a BA in history. While attending college, he played on both the ice hockey and golf teams.
Shortly after graduation, Bob took a job in the retail food industry as a sales representative for American Home products working the greater Boston area.
In 1951, he decided to move west, and soon after his arrival in Los Angeles, Bob took a position as a sales representative with the Wilbur Ellis Co., a large food commodities company working primarily in the frozen seafood division.
After a few years, he moved on to K&C Foods and then in 1963, founded the R W Joyce Company known today as the Joyce Company, which remains engaged in the importation and distribution of frozen seafood products.
In 1953 he met his future wife Ann “Toni” Beck at a seafood trade event while she was working in Hollywood as an actress and model. They were married in 1954, and after living in a couple of locations in the west side, moved to Pacific Palisades in 1965.
Bob enjoyed golf, travel and spending time with his family whom he dearly loved. While his two grandsons were playing baseball in PPBA, you would always find Bob and his wife Toni at the games cheering on their boys. He was a longtime member of The Riviera Country Club and in 1972, he won the club championship, first flight.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, John and Lena Joyce, and his brothers, John and Paul. He is survived by his son Kevin P Joyce, his daughter-in-law Antoinette P Joyce, and his two grandsons Kevin R Joyce and Dylan M Joyce of Pacific Palisades.
Bob was a curious and generous man who adored his family, and enjoyed all things regarding sports, news and history. Until the end, he continued to come into the office for half a day and in his words, “play the game.”
God bless you Bob, Dad and Poppy. We have the watch.
