Mary Joyce Newman

On January 5, 2026, Mary Joyce Price Newman peacefully closed her eyes on this earth and opened them in Heaven, gazing upon the face of her Savior. She was 81 years old. Born on July 16, 1944, in Sulligent, Alabama, into a hardworking farming family, Mary Joyce’s life journey eventually led her to Louisiana, where she built a loving home centered on faith, family, and quiet strength. She devoted her life wholeheartedly to raising her children and became a constant source of love, wisdom, and unwavering support for her grandchildren and great‑grandchildren, who affectionately knew her as “Maw.” Mary Joyce was the embodiment of a gentle spirit. Those who knew her spoke often of her kindness, compassion, and quiet generosity. She loved without condition, gave without hesitation, and forgave long before an apology was ever spoken. Her home was a place of warmth and welcome, where anyone could find comfort, a listening ear, or a soft word spoken with sincerity. Her days always began the same way — coffee in hand, Bible open, and her heart in conversation with God. Her faith was the foundation of her life. She loved Jesus deeply and lived in a way that reflected His love to everyone around her. A devoted prayer warrior, she faithfully prayed blessings and protection over her family each and every day, calling them by name before the Lord. Mary Joyce spoke of Heaven with awe and joyful anticipation, often quoting 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” She lived without fear of death, fully confident that when God called her home, she would be absent from the body and present with the Lord. She longed for the day she would be reunited with her loved ones — her daughter Mary Christine, her granddaughter Erica Christine, her mother, and her siblings — and her family finds comfort knowing that joyful reunion is now complete. While her family is heartbroken by the loss of such an extraordinary and irreplaceable woman, they take great comfort in knowing she now sees, hears, and knows the fullness of the promises she so deeply believed. Upon her arrival in Heaven, she heard the words she lived her life to receive: “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.” Mary Joyce is survived by her loving family: Mary Gregoire (William), Melissa Hoover (Fred), Stephen J. Newman (Kellie), Megan Moore (Donovan), Ryan Sharp (Samantha), Brittany Sanchez (Joseph), and Joshua Blanchard (Cortney); along with ten cherished great‑grandchildren. She is also survived by her siblings Annie Monistere (Angelo), Wanda DiMaggio (Edward), Kelsey Price Jr., Tommy Price (Sue), and Louis Price, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, James Newman; her daughter, Mary Christine; her granddaughter, Erica Christine; her sisters Sue Core, Francis Rhodus, and Christine Collins; her brothers Kenneth Price and Chelsea “Bud” Price; and her parents, Kelcy and Christine Price. Pallbearers will be Angelo Monistere, Stephen J. Newman, Ryan Sharp, Donovan Moore, Joseph Sanchez, and Joshua Blanchard. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home, 1190 Highway 51, Ponchatoula, Louisiana, on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until the funeral service at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow at Holly Gardens Cemetery.

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Mary Joyce Newman

July 16, 1944 - January 5, 2026