In Memoriam: Joyce Light

Growing up in rural Texas, Joyce assumed all Germans of the Nazi era were evil. She was moved beyond belief when she met those who had resisted, families of those who had died for justice.

Joyce Light. Photo © 1949.

Joyce Light, born in the middle of the Great Depression in rural Texas, died April 21, 2013 in California. A co-founder of Center for White Rose Studies, Joyce poured her heart and soul into this work. Those of you who have been customers and friends since the beginning know: Joyce handled our finance and administration with efficiency and unmatched charm.
     Our initial research trip to Germany (February through May 1995), Joyce “manned” the video camera. We have our sweet Erich and Hertha Schmorell on tape, showing us Alex’s samovar and bust of Beethoven. She made Dr. Inge Jens laugh and convinced the Kohlermanns to show us nooks and crannies of their childrens’ sanatorium we’d otherwise have missed.
Joyce had a sixth sense about people. She could tell when the camera made someone uncomfortable. Occasionally when she would shut the camera off, we would experience a real breakthrough in hearing stories that made a difference.
     A product of her generation and of Texas, Joyce had never considered that there could have been “good Germans” during the Shoah. As she told Fritz and Elisabeth Hartnagel, she had always assumed that all Germans were evil. She was moved, and challenged to grow, as she learned the life stories of Willi and Traute, Christl and Alex, Hans and Sophie, Lilo and Falk, and the rest of the friends.
     Her death left a gaping hole in our lives. When Domenic said he had found some previously unknown Lilo letters, reflex was, “Oh, Joyce would love this!” We miss her as sounding board, as copy editor, as business advisor.
     Her memory will always be for a blessing.
     - Denise Heap

Text © 2013 Denise Heap. Photo © 1949. Please contact us for permission to use.