Joyce Holbrook Elder

Born Cecelia Joyce Holbrook in San Francisco, California, on March 31, 1944, Joyce passed away peacefully on June 16, 2025, in Alpine, San Diego, California.

Joyce is survived by her seven children: Elisabeth Elder, Sarah Elder Gauthier, Rebekah Elder Schueth, Ruth  Elder McGlasson, Jeremiah Elder, Seth Elder, and Josiah Elder; fifteen grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and her sister and brother, Judy (Holbrook) Luthy and Larry Holbrook. She was predeceased by her parents, L.C. and Cecelia (née Devere) Holbrook, and her nephew, Kenneth Holbrook.

She was a California girl through and through. Though she spent most of her life in Central California, she was happiest in the mountains. Part of her childhood was spent working on a farm, which shaped her deep love for the outdoors and a work ethic that never faded. Her years in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts instilled in her a lifelong respect for nature and community that she shared with everyone she met.

Joyce’s life was marked by kindness, resilience, and unwavering dedication to her family. She raised five of her seven children on her own while working two or three jobs at a time to provide for them. Even with so much on her shoulders, she always made time for camping trips, surprise visits to Disneyland, and everyday adventures that turned lean times into cherished memories.

She was a woman of many talents and bold spirit. She earned her pilot’s license in 1979, worked as a lifeguard as a teenager, hiked to the peak of Mt. Baldy as a proud Girl Scout, and led each of her daughters’ Girl Scout troops with dedication and care. She was an expert seamstress who made her own wedding dress as well as Sarah’s and Judy’s.

Mom leaves behind a legacy of love, compassion, and determination that will continue to inspire everyone who knew her. She showed her grit and love for life right to the end. She will be deeply missed, and her unbreakable spirit will live on in the lives she touched and the love she shared.