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Obituaries » Joyce Gatling
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Joyce Gatling
May 27, 1945 - June 25, 2025
Celebration Of Life
Private
Joyce Patricia Jordan Gatling
Sunrise: May 27, 1945
Sunset: June 25, 2025
Joyce Gatling 80, of Portsmouth,VA, transitioned peacefully on June 25, 2025. A beloved mother, educator, missionary, and community leader, she dedicated her life to service, faith, and the upliftment of others.
A proud graduate of Crestwood High School, she went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Norfolk State University and a Master’s degree in the same field from Virginia State University. For 39 years, she shaped the lives of young learners as an elementary school teacher with Chesapeake Public Schools (Deep Creek Elementary), where she was admired for her deep commitment to her students’ growth and well-being.
Her passion for children extended beyond the classroom through her work with Child Evangelism Fellowship, where she served as a devoted children’s missionary. Her faith led her across the globe, sharing the message of hope and love in various countries.
Throughout her life, she remained a steadfast woman of faith and worshipped with several congregations including Olive Branch Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Second Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk, Calvary Evangelical Baptist Church in Portsmouth, and most recently, First Baptist Church South Hill in Suffolk.
In addition to her spiritual and educational work, she was a tireless community organizer and political activist. She served as Chaplain of the Portsmouth City Democratic Committee, offering wisdom, leadership, and prayerful guidance and was a lifetime member of the NAACP.
She was welcomed into eternal rest by her parents, Alton R. Jordan and Ethel H. Jordan, and her sister, Ernestine Skinner.
She leaves to cherish her memory her loving daughter, Jewel Gatling, along with her sister Carol Byrd, a host of family members to beloved friends, former students, and community members whose lives she touched with grace, compassion, and unwavering dedication.
Her light lives on in all who knew and loved her. One day, she will greet her daughter Jewel again in heaven with open arms and a joyful heart.