Joyce Beakes Russell, 92, of Nederland went home to be with her Lord on May 19, 2021. She was born in Port Arthur on Oct. 23, 1928 to the late Leonard Beakes and Nellie Mae Anthis Beakes. Joyce was a faithful member of First Baptist Church Nederland and an active member of her Adult 1 Sunday School Department. Joyce started teaching at Hillcrest Elementary in 1972 and taught for 18 years. She first started teaching 5th grade and then moved to 1st grade, then to 2nd grade and ended teaching in 3rd grade. The in 1990 she moved to the Administration building where she was the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for 27 years. In total she was for NISD for 45 years before she retired in 2017.

Those left to cherish Joyce’s memory are her daughter, Deanne Russell Tanner and her husband, Kent Tanner; her only granddaughter, Morgan Tanner all of Nederland. Her step-grandchildren are Kirby Tanner and Kasey Tanner Vernon. Joyce is preceded in death by her husband, John L. Russell, her sons, Douglas William Russell and David Earl Russell and her parents, Leonard and Nellie Mae Beakes.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at First Baptist Church in Nederland on Friday, May 28, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm with a funeral serves at 2:00, Interment will follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the Joyce Russell Memorial Scholarship fund at Mid-County Teachers Credit Union on Nall in Port Neches. The account is set up in the name of Deanne and Kent Tanner. The account number is #56434.