Honoring the Memory
of Those
We Love

I knew Joyce as my first professional boss at Gulf Research from 1981-1984. She retired from Gulf a year later and I moved on, losing track of her. I worked for her in the Gravity and Magnetics department of Gulf Research. I remember she told stories that she was first hired there as a computer - a human calculator - working under the great Sigmund Hammer. She moved up through the ranks and when Hammer retired, she was handpicked to take over. She was a tough-as-nails boss in a man's world, but she could hold her own and often fought the right battles, winning nearly every time. She was short and round and roughly my mother's age. But she had a huge personality and a big presence. She was very devoted to the job, even though she was a Pittsburgh girl and didn't much like Houston. Though she was tough, she was great to work with and served as a terrific mentor to me in my first job just out of college. One interesting story I'll share that shows something of her character... It was 1980, the heady days of the oil boom when it was difficult to find qualified professionals. I was brought in to Houston to interview with Amoco - they paid the bills, but Amoco brought me in during the SEG convention so I had the opportunity to visit the convention floor and play the field. It just so happened that Joyce was manning Gulf's recruitment booth at the convention. I told her I was being interviewed for a seismic position but my love was Gravity and Magnetics. On the spot, she arranged for me to be interviewed a few days later at Gulf Research in SW Houston. But since I was an impoverished graduate student, she arranged for new hotel accommodations, some walking around money and new plane tickets. I think it was a Friday (when I would have otherwise flown home on Amoco's nickel) when I interviewed at Gulf and she all but offered me a job. The next day I was to fly home, but while I was sleeping, someone broke into my hotel room and stole my wallet containing my cash and plane tickets. I was totally stranded in Houston with no place to go! I had Joyce's business card so I called her. I think it must have been her personal home phone number. She was sound asleep and I woke her telling her of my predicament. She called the hotel front desk and with her personal credit card she arranged a new ticket for me and some cash to get me home. I was certain I was out of the running for the job now! But that didn't happen, she wanted me more than ever. When I showed up for my first day of work about 10 months later, I was given a $3k raise from my original offer. I think she felt sorry for me. - David Chapin

Joyce was a lifelong dear friend to my late aunt, Mary Donahoe. We have many good memories of her kindness and thoughtfulness, especially to my grandmother Rose Donahoe. I remember her being happy I was attending her alma mater, Duquesne University. Joyce was a trailblazer in breaking the glass ceiling at Gulf Oil for women in her chosen field. We were saddened to learn of her passing, may she rest in peace. Joe Tommarello and mother, Dolores (Donahoe) Tommarello