[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 61 (Thursday, April 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE LIFE OF JOYCE RYDER VANDEVERE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 8, 2021

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
teacher, activist, and social justice advocate, Joyce Ryder Vandevere, 
who recently passed away at the age of 94 on February 17, 2021.
  Joyce's parents met while students at UC Berkley and instilled Joyce 
with the value of education and a firm sense that she could accomplish 
anything she set her mind to. Joyce graduated from Pomona College in 
1948 and earned a master's degree in Psychology and Child Development 
from Stanford in 1950. Upon receiving her degrees, Joyce became 
director of a preschool in San Francisco where she would be introduced 
to prominent progressive leaders, including labor leader Harry Bridges. 
It was during this period that Joyce developed a commitment to social 
justice and equality.
  In 1956, with her husband Judson Vandevere, Joyce moved to Monterey, 
where she would reside for the rest of her life and dedicate her time 
to social service and political activism on the central coast of 
California. During the Vietnam War, Joyce worked to provide soldiers at 
Ft. Ord with counseling and other services that would otherwise be 
unavailable to them. Additionally, she was an advocate for prison 
reform and worked with Friends Outside to support the families of 
incarcerated individuals.
  Joyce returned to her teaching career in the 1960s as a volunteer 
teacher with Head Start in Seaside, California. In 1971, she co-founded 
the Learning Community, an open classroom, alternative program at 
Seaside's Del Rey Woods School, and would continue to teach until 1988.
  Further, Joyce was a co-founder of the local chapter of the Women's 
International League for Peace and Freedom, the Peace Coalition of 
Monterey County, and the Monterey Peace and Justice Center. She 
remained active in all these organizations until her death. Joyce even 
learned to code and designed relational databases while in her 70s to 
produce a weekly Peace calendar.
  Joyce's life is celebrated by her children, Keith and Gwyn, her three 
great-grandchildren, and her numerous nieces and nephews. Joyce's 
meaningful legacy of service and advocacy will always endure with the 
people living on the central coast of California.

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