JOYCE WILLIAMS WIESE Joyce W. Wiese, 93, of Mililani peacefully passed away on September 26, 2016. Joyce was considered an exceptional and inspirational teacher and was remembered and respected long after her retirement. Joyce was born on May 28, 1923 to Claire and John Williams in Detroit, Michigan. After losing her mother at the age of 3, Joyce was raised by her maternal grandparents for the next seven years. She always referred to that time as the happiest period of her life. When she was 15 years old, she was in a city wide theatre production where she met her future soulmate, Robert Wiese, who was only 16 years old at the time. For the next several years, Joyce and Robert finished high school; began college; and started to plan for their future. Joyce was determined to get a college education so without any financial support, she was accepted to Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and worked three jobs to pay her way through school. Due to the war, Robert entered the Navy and became a pilot. Joyce left Kalamazoo College in her junior year to marry Robert on February 4, 1944. They subsequently raised four children: Danal, Kathleen, Marta and Mark. As was the expectation of the times, Joyce remained home to care for her children until the youngest child was in school. She then returned to college and received her Bachelor of Arts degree and then a Master of Education degree, both of which were from Wayne State University in Detroit. Her first teaching assignment was at Center Line High School in Center Line, Michigan where she received the Teacher of the Year award (voted by the students) in her second year of teaching in June 1960. After relocating to Hawaii in 1960, her first Hawaii teaching position was at the Kamehameha Schools, where she was one of the only female teachers in what was then the Boys School. She taught psychology and was the class counselor for the Class of 1966. She transferred to the Department of Education and taught for a short time at Kailua High School and then in 1965 started her long tenure at Kalani High School. She remained at Kalani High School until she retired in 1989. At Kalani High School she was known as not only a teacher who expected her students to excel and push themselves but one who also cared about her students. She made an effort to know each and every one of them through personal meetings or informal chats. Due to her dedication to excellence, many of her students were able to receive college credit for psychology though testing. She was very proud of that fact. This personal attention was remembered by her students for decades. In 2011 she was honored by the Kalani Alumni Association with its first Falcon Award. In retirement Joyce continued to substitute at Moanalua High School, volunteered at TV Channel 2 Action Line and traveled extensively. She and Robert began traveling in 1975 and throughout the years they developed long lasting friendships worldwide. After Robert's death in 1989, Joyce continued to travel until a couple of years ago when her physical health was beginning to fail her. Also preceding her in death was her eldest child, Danal, in 2014. She is survived by her remaining three children: Kathleen (Roy) Reeber, Marta (Michael) Rounds, and Mark (Cynthia) Wiese; her daughter-in-law, Laurel Wiese; six grandchildren: Jennifer Wiese Ferrer, Ty (Stephanie) Wiese, Marta-Malia (John) Blake, Timothy (Mayara) Reeber, Elizabeth (Ryan) Bradford, and Robert Kai Rounds; and 10 great grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held at Nuuanu Memorial Park at 2233 Nuuanu Avenue on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 5 pm. Aloha attire. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kalamazoo College Fund. (kcf@kzoo.edu; Joyce Williams Wiese, class of 1944). Arrangements Provided By: Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary
JOYCE WILLIAMS WIESE Joyce W. Wiese, 93, of Mililani peacefully passed away on September 26, 2016. Joyce was considered an exceptional and inspirational teacher and was remembered and respected long after her retirement. Joyce was born on May 28, 1923 to Claire and John Williams in Detroit, Michigan. After losing her mother at the age of 3, Joyce was raised by her maternal grandparents for the next seven years. She always referred to that time as the happiest period of her life. When she was 15 years old, she was in a city wide theatre production where she met her future soulmate, Robert Wiese, who was only 16 years old at the time. For the next several years, Joyce and Robert finished high school; began college; and started to plan for their future. Joyce was determined to get a college education so without any financial support, she was accepted to Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and worked three jobs to pay her way through school. Due to the war, Robert entered the Navy and became a pilot. Joyce left Kalamazoo College in her junior year to marry Robert on February 4, 1944. They subsequently raised four children: Danal, Kathleen, Marta and Mark. As was the expectation of the times, Joyce remained home to care for her children until the youngest child was in school. She then returned to college and received her Bachelor of Arts degree and then a Master of Education degree, both of which were from Wayne State University in Detroit. Her first teaching assignment was at Center Line High School in Center Line, Michigan where she received the Teacher of the Year award (voted by the students) in her second year of teaching in June 1960. After relocating to Hawaii in 1960, her first Hawaii teaching position was at the Kamehameha Schools, where she was one of the only female teachers in what was then the Boys School. She taught psychology and was the class counselor for the Class of 1966. She transferred to the Department of Education and taught for a short time at Kailua High School and then in 1965 started her long tenure at Kalani High School. She remained at Kalani High School until she retired in 1989. At Kalani High School she was known as not only a teacher who expected her students to excel and push themselves but one who also cared about her students. She made an effort to know each and every one of them through personal meetings or informal chats. Due to her dedication to excellence, many of her students were able to receive college credit for psychology though testing. She was very proud of that fact. This personal attention was remembered by her students for decades. In 2011 she was honored by the Kalani Alumni Association with its first Falcon Award. In retirement Joyce continued to substitute at Moanalua High School, volunteered at TV Channel 2 Action Line and traveled extensively. She and Robert began traveling in 1975 and throughout the years they developed long lasting friendships worldwide. After Robert's death in 1989, Joyce continued to travel until a couple of years ago when her physical health was beginning to fail her. Also preceding her in death was her eldest child, Danal, in 2014. She is survived by her remaining three children: Kathleen (Roy) Reeber, Marta (Michael) Rounds, and Mark (Cynthia) Wiese; her daughter-in-law, Laurel Wiese; six grandchildren: Jennifer Wiese Ferrer, Ty (Stephanie) Wiese, Marta-Malia (John) Blake, Timothy (Mayara) Reeber, Elizabeth (Ryan) Bradford, and Robert Kai Rounds; and 10 great grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held at Nuuanu Memorial Park at 2233 Nuuanu Avenue on Sunday, October 16, 2016 at 5 pm. Aloha attire. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kalamazoo College Fund. (kcf@kzoo.edu; Joyce Williams Wiese, class of 1944). Arrangements Provided By: Nuuanu Memorial Park & Mortuary
Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
