Joyce Jean Nichols

Joyce Jean Nichols, 81, was born on June 7, 1944, in Visalia, California to James Robert Tinney and Callie Polly Crawford and entered into rest January 16, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Joyce was a people person and dedicated much of her life to caring for others. She was known for her quick wit, her go to list of jokes, and an unforgettable sense of humor. After school she began her nursing career where she became a specialized psychiatric technician, a role that reflected both her patience and her big heart. Joyce later decided to leave the medical profession for a more social connection with people, and she took a job at a riverboat casino. Whether she was working at a card table or tending to a patient, she always had a way of making people feel welcome.

Preceding Joyce in death were her parents, James and Callie Tinney; husband, Wilburn “Chuck” Nichols; brother, Delbert Tinney.

Those left behind to cherish her memory are her daughters, Kimberly Marter (Kevin); Denise Rueger (Mark); sisters, Joan Rhodes; Verna Brents (James); grandchildren, Brandon Conway, Mitchell Conway, Nicole Rueger, Christin Rueger; great grandchildren, Jamari Perry, Sania Conway, and Chloe Conway, and a host of nieces and nephews.

At the family’s and Joyce’s request, there will be no public service.