Zelda Joyce Rollen

Joyce was born to Grayson and Zaidee Rollen on November 21, 1949, and grew up in Selma, Alabama. She attended Parrish High School, where she enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball, and graduated as Valedictorian in 1968.

While majoring in Chemistry at Auburn University, she began work at the CDC in Atlanta under a cooperative research program, where she continued to work following her graduation with a B.S. degree in 1973.

Joyce was an avid reader and a classic film and TV buff. Her love of movies led her to work at three theatres, including the historical Wilby Theatre in Selma and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

She spent several years at the CDC before moving to Orange Park, FL, in 1982. She worked briefly for the Naval Drug Screening Lab prior to settling into a longer career as a chemical engineer for the Naval Air Depot. Her move to Orange Park brought the family back together, as she and her mother moved just a few houses down from her big brother and his family, on a cul-du-sac with neighbors, who have also come to feel like family.

She was an extraordinary mix of get-your-hands-dirty, folksy, country girl southern charm; brilliant and methodical scientific acumen; and boundless, soft-hearted compassion that made her an instant friend and advocate to every human and every critter lucky enough to cross her path.

Her smile was a sly invitation; her laugh would pull you into a world viewed through a storyteller's eyes. She joked that she had a knack for making a short story long. That she did, and she did so with such joy and enthusiasm that she made you feel as if you’d lived it right along with her.

In 1989 a new chapter began for Joyce as she opened her heart and home to a Dutch exchange student. She treasured being a host mom so much that she welcomed seven more students from around the world. She built loving relationships with “her kids” that lasted throughout her life. She spent her retirement looking for any opportunity to launch herself on another adventure across the globe, to see her cherished international family, or explore new places with dear friends.

She had a deep faith and lived a life of service, whether helping friends, family, neighbors, her church, or community members. She was a devoted volunteer for Kairos and Kairos Outside, ministering to prisoners and their families. She was the “Linen Queen” at The Clothes Closet and Food Pantry, where she spent years washing, meticulously folding, and organizing linens for community members in need.

Joyce was preceded in death by her father and mother, Grayson and Zaidee Rollen, and her beloved big brother Terry Rollen. She is survived by her sister-in-law Terry, niece Suzanne, nephew Scott and his wife Stephanie, grandnephew Justin, grandniece Audrey, and her international kids and 11 grandkids.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 9:30 AM at Orange Park United Methodist Church, 2051 Park Ave., Orange Park, FL. The service will start at 10:00 AM, led by Rev. Bob Standifer and Rev. Linda Standifer, and will be followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to:

The Clothes Closet and Food Pantry

P.O. Box 2892 Orange Park, FL 32067

https://www.ccfpop.org/donate

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.neptunesociety.com/location/jacksonville-cremation for the Rollen family.