Obituary of Joyce Marie T. (Durrance) Burns

Joyce Marie T. (Durrance) Burns, 68, wife of the late Robert H. Burns, died with her family by her side on Saturday, February 22, 2014 at Saints Memorial Medical Center in Lowell following a courageous battle with lung cancer. Joyce was born in Boston, on October 23, 1945, daughter of the late Robert and Mary (LeBlanc) Durrance. She was raised in Revere and Lynn graduating from Lynn Classical High School in 1964. Joyce was employed for 35 years at Analog Devices in Wilmington as an environmental tester until her retirement in 2008. She was a loving mother who devoted her life to creating a home for her family and spending valued time with her grandchildren. Joyce enjoyed spending time at her summer home on Lake Ossipee with family and friends, and as hobbies, crocheting, painting and traveling. Joyce is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Dawn Marie Hazelton and Paul Hazelton Jr., of Salem, NH, Tammylee and Robert Gooch of Dracut, and Christin Lee and Brian DeStefano of Tewksbury; a brother and his wife, Robert J. and Nancy Durrance of Saugus; her cherished grandchildren, Kayla, Shawn, Jessica and Matthew; a cousin, Michelle Caggiano and her family of Winthrop; a best friend, Jean Kimball of FL, and many nieces and nephews, and all the kids she has taken in and helped over the years. She was predeceased by her sister Marylee MacDonald and her husband Bruce. Her family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody. Her funeral service will be held in the funeral home on Wednesday, February 26, 2014, at 11 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made in Joyce’s memory to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226. Burial in Pine Grove Cemetery, Lynn. Please visit www.ccbfuneral.com for directions, online obituary and memorial guess book.