Joyce Elaine (Heber) Senczyszyn Sessions

Joyce Elaine Sessions, 95, a long-time Syracuse resident, passed away peacefully at the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home on March 12, 2026.

Born on January 2, 1931 in a company house for Hercules Powder in Bacchus, Utah, Joyce was the eldest of eight children. Her parents, Gustaf J. and Anna Marie Soderlund Heber, raised her and her siblings in nearby Magna, Utah, sharing their strong Norwegian and Swedish heritage. She graduated from Cyprus High School in 1949. Joyce attended Brigham Young University, where she studied speech and drama, before returning home to work in Tooele helping disassemble 40 mm guns for the U.S. Air Force. While there she met Rudolph “Rudy” Senczyszyn. They married in the Salt Lake Utah Temple on August 21, 1953.

Joyce and Rudy raised their two children, Linda and Michael, in California, where she worked as a middle school librarian. After their divorce, Joyce returned to Utah and met Charles Merrill Sessions at a Church-sponsored singles dance. They married in the Ogden Utah Temple on March 26, 1983. She lovingly helped Merrill raise his seven children as her own. Joyce retired from her work in 1985, later serving briefly at Weber State in Ogden. She devoted herself to quilting and homemaking, creating more than 100 quilts for family and close friends. She and Merrill enjoyed serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints together, where she was affectionately known by the youth as “Sister Friendly” for her kind help with young families.

Joyce’s later years were spent sewing, caring for her home, and enjoying time with her daughter Linda. She is remembered for her generous spirit, her deep devotion to family, and her ability to create a warm and beautiful home. She was preceded in death by her husbands Rudolph Senczyszyn, Charles Merrill Sessions, and Arthur Whittaker, as well as her brothers Vernon and Clifford Heber.

She is survived by her children, Linda (Steve) Stalter and Michael (Diane) Senczyszyn; five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren; her brothers Grant, Kent, David, and Keith Heber; and her sister, Ruth Sabin.