Joyce Johnson Update

Memorial visitation will be at McGuinty Funeral Home, corner of Cassells Street and First Avenue on Wednesday, January 14 from 7 - 9pm. A Memorial Service will be conducted in the Funeral Home Chapel, Thursday, January 15 at 11am with a reception at noon at the Capitol Centre, 150 Main Street East.

It is with great sadness the BayToday announce that matriarch of the Gateway Theatre Guild and Quonta award winning actress Joyce Johnson has passed away. A former president of the Gateway Theatre Guild, Joyce had performed in over sixty productions with the Guild since 1960.

Joyce Johnson was born in Timmins, Ontario and attended the University of Toronto for four years, followed by a year of Teacher’s College. After teaching for a couple of years she married the late Alan Johnson, former Dean of Education at Nipissing University. Joyce and Alan had six children.

Joyce had acted in plays throughout her high school years but did not take a serious role until 1959 when she was asked to perform with an acting troop through the university that was made up almost entirely of housewives! That play was called 'Cry Havoc'.

Some of her many noted local performances were Over the River and Through the Woods in 2004, The Laramie Project and Private Lives in 2003.

Joyce was inducted into the The North Bay Musicians and Entertainers Hall of Fame in February 2005 and at that time as always she was gracious telling BayToday, “My favourite line is Theatre is a team sport."

“The people you see on the stage are only the tip of the iceberg. There are dozens of people working backstage to put us in our best light and to give us our best sound. The best light, the best sound, the make-up, the wardrobe, everything, and they don’t get enough applause I think.”

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.