Obituary for Joyce Pryse

Joyce Pryse

August 2, 1938 – December 6, 2020

Joyce (Hooten) Pryse passed away Sunday, December 6th, 2020, at her home in Ponca City. She was 82.

Joyce was born on August 2nd, 1938 to Robert Eli and Charity Jane (Harris) Hooten in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Joyce graduated from Muskogee Central High School in 1956. She then attended the University of Oklahoma where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority. As luck would have it, Joyce was introduced to Zack D. Pryse. Though she played hard to get, she immediately told a friend, “That’s Zack Pryse, from Ponca City. That is the man I am going to marry.” Joyce and Zack were married on June 6th, 1959, in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Following her attendance from OU, Joyce began working at Tinker Airforce Base. After Zack’s military career and many moves, the family returned to Zack’s home town of Ponca City in 1972.

A creature of habit, you could almost always know where Joyce was on any given day. For over 35 years, she had her hair fixed at D Snippet’s by Doris Love every Tuesday and Friday at 10:30. She was also a rebel in the sense as she enjoyed the poker machines in the back room of the Elk’s Lodge before gambling became legal.

Her true passion and love was her family and her grandchildren. She thoroughly enjoyed the time she got to spend with them. One of Joyce’s wishes was to stay in her home until her death. The family was fortunate that they were able to honor her wishes. This was also only possible due to her dependable caregiver, Melissa Higgins who was her daily caregiver the last two years of her life.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, Charity and Robert Hooten and her husband, Zack. She is survived by her children, Kerry Mullenax of the home, Zack David Pryse IV of Oklahoma City, Pati Burns (Eddie) of Piedmont. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Parker Burns (Caitlyn), Sam Mullenax, Pryse Mullenax (Paden), Owen Burns and her favorite granddaughter Reagan Mullenax. She was also excited to become a Great Mamaw due to the upcoming birth of her first great-grandson, Marshall in March.

If you were ever fortunate enough to help put mom to bed, you were probably part of the dream team, a routine that started following her hospitalization from a broken hip. The family would like to thank all of those who participated with flare and know that was something that always left her with a smile and sweet dreams. Here we go mom, count us down one last time…”One, Two, Three….DREAM TEAM!”

A graveside service will be held at Odd Fellows Cemetery at 10:00 on Wednesday, December 9, 2020.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hearts for Hearing, 11500 N. Portland Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73120. www.heartsforhearing.org.

Source: Trout Funeral Home