Obituary of Joyce McLean

If you could bottle sunshine, it would be our mom’s beautiful smile.

Joyce Marilyn McLean, Ontario, passed away to be with her Heavenly Father on January 31, 2021, at the age of 85.

Joyce was born June 1, 1935 to Richard and Helen Belford, Lakewood, Ohio. She was the only child, and adored by her parents and four grandparents. Growing up she spent long summer vacations at her grandpa and grandma Kydd’s island at Crane Lake, Canada, fishing, boating, and swimming. She loved those idyllic summers with her beloved Kydd family.

She developed a passion for music at a young age, taking piano lessons in grade school and then playing the French horn in her marching band at Lakewood High School. She graduated from there in 1953. As a freshman at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, she met the love of her life, Fran an upperclass men. She loved her music courses, marching in her college band, belonging to a sorority, and most of all dating Fran. She graduated in 1957 with a degree in music education from Bowling Green.

Joy married Fran November 16, 1957. The young couple made their first home at Lincoln Air Force Base in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1957, where Fran was a pilot. She was a substitute high school band teacher during her years in Lincoln.

The couple moved to Newton Falls, Ohio in the early 1960’s where they built their first home. They welcomed a son Scott, and daughter, Heather to the family while living in Ohio in those years.

In 1968 the young family made a big move “way out west” to Ontario from Ohio, when Fran took over as publisher of the Argus Observer newspaper. Joy enjoyed her busy life in Ontario. She was a junior high and high school substitute band teacher in Ontario. She was involved in musical organizations. wrote a musical column for several decades for the Argus, was very active in her children’s school activities, active member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in the choir and altar guild, and a volunteer at Four Rivers Cultural Center for many years.

Joy loved teaching children piano and had numerous students throughout the valley in the 1980’s and 1990’s. She was an excellent Spanish speaker and had an all-Spanish speaking Girl Scout troop in the 1980’s. She loved her scouts, teaching them cooking, homemaking skills, and music.

She loved her home on the Oregon Slope with the beautiful views where she and Fran had a big rose garden and vegetable garden. Strawberry pies and rhubarb cobblers were a few of her favorite desserts she made from their harvest of delicious produce.

Joy is preceded in death by her baby she miscarried, parents father Richard Belford; mother, Helen Kydd Belford; grandparents Alexander and Mary Kydd; and Dr. John and Blanche Belford; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She is survived by her loving husband of 63 years, Francis McLean, Ontario; son, Scott McLean, Portland; daughter, Heather McLean (fiancé Travis Smith), Ontario; numerous cousins; several brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws; and numerous nieces and nephews.

We love you mom and we’ll always miss you. We know you are our angel, always watching over us now.

Memorials can be made to Help-Them-to-Hope in Joy’s name, a charity Fran and Joy started in the early 1970’s in Ontario.

Donations in Joy’s memory can be made to her two favorite charities: Help-Them-to-Hope, Columbia Bank, P.O. Box 55, Ontario, Or. 97914, atten: Laura, or 541-889-8606. Also, Four Rivers Cultural Center, 676 S.W. 5th Ave., Ontario, Or. 97914, Atten: Matt Stringer, 541-889-8191. Please make your donations in the charities names.

A memorial for the celebration of Joy’s life will be Saturday, April 24, 2021, 1 pm at Four Rivers Cultural Center, 676 S.W. 5th Ave., Ontario. Reverend Sean Rogers’s will do the service, as well as performing beautiful music on the piano Joy would have loved.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Lienkaemper Chapels, Ontario, Oregon.

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