MT PLEASANT, SC ---- Joyce Eleanor Gale Dimock, 82, passed away peacefully at home in Mount Pleasant, SC on Monday, October 5, 2026, surrounded by her family, from complications of multiple surgeries.
Joyce was born on April 30, 1944 in New York, New York. She was the daughter of Robert Strum Gale and Julia Korodin Gale. She spent her childhood in New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. As a young girl, she sang in the church choir alongside her mother, while her father played the organ.
She is predeceased by her parents and biological mother, Eleanore Katherine Marie Novotny. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dr. Ronald V. Dimock, Jr., her son, Jeff Dimock (Kathee), and her daughter, Kristin Henry (Todd). She was a proud and loving grandmother to seven grandchildren: Colby (Erin), Trevor, Carter (Abby), Kaylee, Allyson, Kate, and Eric. She was also blessed to become a great-grandmother to Eli Dimock. Later in life, Joyce had the joy of discovering her biological family and developed an especially close and cherished relationship with her half-sister, Sue Lambur. She is also survived by her half-sister, Sue (Rob Kiehm), other half-siblings, niece, and nephews. Throughout the many chapters of her life, Joyce formed deep and lasting friendships, creating an extraordinary circle of friends who became an extension of her family.
Joyce met the love of her life, Ron, when they were in the eighth grade. Their childhood friendship grew into an extraordinary lifelong partnership. They married on December 18, 1966, and shared nearly 60 years of marriage. Ron was Joyce’s devoted caregiver, particularly throughout the challenges of the last two years.
After graduating from Laconia High School, Laconia, New Hampshire (where she was a Varsity cheerleader, Jr Prom Queen, and Queen’s Court attendant), Joyce attended the Laconia Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1965. She began a career as a registered nurse primarily working in Labor and Delivery practicing in Laconia and Hanover, New Hampshire; Tallahassee, Florida; Santa Barbara, California; Friday Harbor, Washington; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
For more than 25 years, Joyce also taught Lamaze childbirth classes in Winston-Salem, helping hundreds of mothers and fathers prepare to welcome their children into the world. She worked as a private-duty nurse, including caring for the founder of Krispy Kreme, and later as a nurse for Partners National Health Plan.
Joyce and Ron raised their children in Winston-Salem and became deeply involved in their community. Joyce volunteered in her children’s schools, including as a reading assistant at Speas Elementary School, and was a President of the Wake Forest University Women’s Club. Joyce enjoyed hosting many of Ron’s graduate students who became extended family members. Wake Forest also gave Joyce and Ron the opportunity to experience life abroad. While Ron taught with Wake Forest University’s study-abroad program in London, Joyce became the beloved “house mother” to two groups of undergraduate students at the Worrell House. She and Ron also lived abroad during sabbaticals in Amsterdam and Sydney, experiences that nurtured Joyce’s lifelong love of travel and adventure. They traveled extensively together visiting Morocco, Spain, France, Norway, Switzerland, Thailand, China, Galapagos, and many other places. One of Joyce and Ron’s most recent trips was a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam with her sister, Sue, and husband, Rob.
In addition to being a nurse and caregiver, Joyce was exceptionally creative. She was an accomplished seamstress, embroiderer, and quilter who could turn fabric and thread into treasured family heirlooms. She worked at Sew Original in Winston-Salem, where she taught embroidery, and even represented the store on a trip to Switzerland to visit the Bernina factory, her favorite sewing-machine company.
After Joyce and Ron bought a house in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, in 2002, she continued her love of quilting as an active member of Crystal Coast Quilters Guild and enjoyed fun nights with “Quigley’s Crew” trivia group, or out for a sunset wine cruise on their boat “No R’Egrets.” She volunteered with Carteret County as voting precinct official. She and Ron volunteered with the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol, counting and protecting sea turtle nests and hatchlings along 13 miles of shoreline. They were also inaugural founders of the Annual Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament in September 2019. The surplus generated is directed towards scholarships for local high school students, environmental stewardship, and various community projects. After more than two decades in Emerald Isle, Joyce and Ron moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in 2025, where they began another chapter of their life.
Joyce’s family is very thankful to all the wonderful medical professionals, caregivers, and friends who have helped along her medical journey at Forsyth Memorial Hospital in Winston-Salem, Carteret County Hospital in Emerald Isle, Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern, Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Medical University of South Carolina, Amedysis, and Crescent Hospice in Charleston.
Joyce lived fully and loved deeply. She was a nurse, teacher, caregiver, seamstress, quilter, traveler, wife, mother, Nana, great-grandmother, and cherished friend. Her greatest pleasures came from sewing and embroidering items for her grandchildren as well as helping them grow into fine adults. She will be remembered for her generous spirit, her creativity, her curiosity about the world, and the way she cared for those around her.
A Graveside Service will take place at Smith Meeting House Cemetery, Gilmanton, New Hampshire on October 24, 2026 at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Joyce Gale Dimock, RN Family Endowed Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Nurse Anesthesia Scholarship Fund at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, tax ID number 22-3849199, DAF gifts contact 336-716-9831. http://giving.wakehealth.edu/DimockScholarship
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services / 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.