Editor’s note: Joyce Morrison died at Dulcina Hospice on April 9, 2024, after this story was written.
Hospice: the very word sounds scary to many. Our death-phobic culture recoils from it. And yet, many of those who experience it paint a very different picture, not one of lying around waiting to die but of enjoying their remaining time in comfort, surrounded by loved ones and supportive staff and volunteers.
Calgary native Joyce Morrison, 91, is one such person. Next to her bed at Dulcina Hospice, located at St. Marguerite Manor, a Covenant Care centre in Calgary, are photographs of around 30 people, including her four children, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and other relatives, all of whom visit her regularly. Far from being an isolating experience, hospice for Joyce has meant near-constant companionship.
“I never get bored,” says Joyce, a resident at Dulcina since Christmas of 2023.
“There’s always family coming and going. And the staff, whom I call my angels, are always there for me. I just love it here. I’m so thankful that I decided to move in here.”
Joyce’s current time of rest and comfort care follows a life defined by vigorous activity. Born on September 10, 1932, in rural Manitoba, about 19 kilometres east of Brandon, she grew up on a farm, where daily life was marked by milking cows, pitching hay and other activities that most children don’t experience nowadays. Moving to Calgary as an adult, she married and had four children — two daughters and two sons — whom she raised while working part time in a fabric store.
When not working or tending to her family, Joyce was always active, playing golf and curling as well as going on strenuous hikes, a passion that would remain with her until her late 80s. A member of the Evergreen Seniors Outdoor Club for 26 years, she has hiked in many places, even travelling to England and Scotland to blaze trails.
“I got into hiking about four years after my husband died (in 1988),” she says. “I wanted to get out there and do something for myself. It was the best thing that I could have done. I did a lot of travelling. I hiked along the West Coast and among the redwood trees in Yosemite National Park, across sand dunes and so on. I absolutely loved it, and I’m so thankful I had those opportunities.”
In addition to being a passionate explorer, Joyce has also long been an active community member. A longtime resident of the Hamptons area in northwestern Calgary, she describes her neighbourhood as having been close-knit, a place where everybody chipped in to help and people regularly got together for bowling, curling and other activities. She was also an elder at her church, which kept her busy, and spent a lot of time baking, the results of which she enjoyed sharing with her neighbours.
It was her passion for community activity and her thirst for adventure that saw her at age 81 on the back of her son’s motorcycle, driving from Calgary to Red Deer as part of the Kids Cancer Care Ride of a Lifetime.
“My son is a regular participant in this,” she says. “One year I insisted that he take me with him on the back of his motorcycle. I just loved it, and it was wonderful to raise money for kids with cancer. That was an incredible experience.”
Having lived an eventful life surrounded by loving family, Joyce maintains a positive outlook on life even while mostly bedridden. Highlights of her days now include enjoying the delicious meals at Dulcina (including her favourite — macaroni and cheese), watching curling on TV and receiving a steady stream of visits from her large family.
Her perspective on hospice care is that it’s something that nobody should be fearful of.
“I see that a lot of my friends are getting older, and I keep telling them that they have to check into hospice before it's too late. Some of them are in their late 80s already. I think a lot of them get scared when you say the word ‘hospice.’ I try to convince them that there's nothing to be afraid of. It's all positive. The staff here are absolute angels. Everything is taken care of. I can’t express my gratitude enough,” she says.