Joyce Newsom Owens Robnett, age 87, of Lubbock, went home peacefully to the Lord October 23, 2017. Joyce was a loving mother, other-mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt and friend. She was totally devoted to her family. She talked daily with both her daughters, Fredna Lair of Levelland, TX and Tedna Taylor of North Richland Hills, TX. She brought comfort and joy as only a mother can do. She was blessed with two sons-in-law that cared very deeply for her, John Taylor and Bruce Lair. She adored and enjoyed her grandchildren Cameron Taylor & Chase Estes, Haleigh & Patrick Senning, Natalie Taylor, Tres Lair & Annie Woodlock, Kam Lair Caffey & Chris Zapata, and Tate & Thelma Lair along with many great- children: Maddox, Paxton, Presley, Cannon, Taylor, Rhett, Jacob, Andrew & Breanna, Jonathon, and great-great-grandchildren Tyson, Zaylen, Evelyn and Londyn.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents: Fred John Newsom and Letha Wren Newsom of Whitharral, Texas siblings: Lorene Hamilton, Weldon Newsom, and Ray Newsom and husbands: Fred Owens and James Robnett.
Joyce was a creative, gifted, hard worker. As a young mother, she made all of her daughters’ clothes, grew and canned hundreds of servings of vegetables, sewed for the public and worked in Coble Switch Gin office. Later in life she was the owner and manager of a fitness center in Levelland, Manager of the Levelland Chamber of Commerce, and was the office manager for Dr. Robnett’s orthodontic practice in Lubbock. Until October 21, 2017 she was still making the management decisions about her own rent houses and three farms.
She was a member of the Levelland First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school for many years. She loved playing bridge and 42 dominos. She also loved hosting bridge club parties, bridal showers for friends and Las Fidelis Study Club meetings. She loved to sew and cook. She was carrying food to neighbors in Lubbock until her stroke December 25, 2016.
The family would like to express heartfelt gratitude to the family members and beloved friends that came and/or called to speak with her during the last weeks to bring her joy and laughter Lille Newsom, Joe & Beverly Newsom, Jan Hamilton, Neil & Sandy Newsom, Kenny Newsom, Del & Peggy Fast, Cindy Gilley, Patricia Rogers, Patti Anderson, Chris, Tori, Olivia and Presley Smith. The family would also like to thank the staff, doctors, nurses and hospice staff of Baylor Scott & White of Grapevine for their loving care of her over the last ten months.
A memorial service will be held in Levelland, Texas, at the Krestridge Funeral Home Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 10:30 am. Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to the American Breast Cancer Society in honor of her sister Lorene Hamilton, her two nieces Joy Chittim and Lynn Martin and her own personal battle with breast cancer, the Ronald McDonald House in Fort Worth celebration of her granddaughter Taylor Caffey’s victory over her battle with leukemia, or the American Heart Association as many family members have and are still battling heart disease. Rest in peace Mother, you have trained us well