Joyce Bates Hatcher "Mama Joy"

Joyce Bates Hatcher “Mama Joy”, age 83, of Mansfield, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on September 14, 2025. She was born on October 13, 1941, in Ipswich, England, to Harold and Grace Todd Bates.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James A. Hatcher; her brother, David Bates; and her special daughter, Janet Pharris. She is survived by her special son, Rick Pharris of Mansfield, LA; her cousin, Sonia Ripley of Ipswich, England; and numerous nieces, nephews, and foster children whose lives she touched over the years.

Pallbearers will be James Harmon, Jaylin Morgan, Rick Pharris, Randy Pharris, Alex Morgan, and Wayne Tumbleson.

A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 19, 2025, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 943 Polk St. Mansfield, LA 71052. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at Henrietta Congregational Methodist Church with Reverend Chucky Clark and Reverend Andrea Burnett officiating. Burial will follow at Union Springs Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to a favorite charity in Joyce’s memory.

Services and care were provided by the family of Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Mansfield, Louisiana.