Elizabeth Joyce Gorby

Elizabeth Joyce Herren Gorby passed into her new life on May 2, 2024, at the age of 96. 

She was born December 14, 1927, in Beloit Ohio. She was the daughter of John and Jennie Buhler Herren. 

She attended Bricktown elementary, Sebring High School, and Mount Union College where she graduated cum laude in 1949. 

Joyce started taking piano lessons at age 6 and music was always a large part of her life. Joyce taught in area public schools for 30 years. When she retired from public school teaching, she taught piano in Cope Music Hall of her alma mater, Mt Union College Music Department. She loved sharing her love of music and instilling that passion in many fine students.

She was a church organist for 52 years. She started out playing while a student at Mt. Union and regularly as full-time church organist in 1953. She played for First Immanuel united Church of Christ and Sebring United Methodist Church.

She often wished she had kept track of how many weddings she played. There were several hundred over the years. She also played for many funerals. She participated in numerous WB High School Musicals, and hundreds of other musical productions. She was honored by performing a piano concert at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. She sang for several years in the MT Union Alliance Chorale, also directed some singing groups and choirs, and accompanied numerous vocal and instrumental performers.

She dearly loved her husband, Herb and her two children Gary and Jill. She said the happiest time of her life was when she & Herb adopted those two babies. They were the joy of her life, still are and always will be.

Joyce’s laughter, love and spirit are treasured memories for her grandchildren, Jeff, Joey, Connor, Jordan, and Hunter and great grandchildren, Sloane and Donovan. She has nieces, Linda, Jani, Teri, Amy, and nephews Mark, Steve, and Joel along with many great nieces and nephews.

Only God knows how many countless people knew her as a precious friend. She was a member of First Immanuel, Alliance Women’s Club, Delta Delta Delta sorority, Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity. American Guild of Piano Teachers. She loved playing bridge with her dear friends.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Herb, brother, James and Bernice Herren, Norma and Bob Ferrell, and Carol and Bruce Weber.

Thanks be to God for blessing us through the presence of Joyce Herren Gorby in our lives. 

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Friday May 24th at First Immanuel Church of Christ, Alliance Ohio at 11:00 am with a visitation one hour prior. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Immanuel Church of Christ, 208 E. Oxford Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601