Loved to buy and sell antiques
NORTH BILLERICA — Joyce (Larkin) Defandorf, 90, of North Billerica, passed away on January 19, 2023 after living life to the fullest.
A longtime resident of Lynnfield and Lexington, she leaves behind her beloved husband, John, three sons, a grandson and a large extended family.
Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York during the Great Depression, Joyce won a full scholarship to Brown University and received a degree in Mathematics in 1954. She then moved to Boston and held jobs at mutual fund and engineering firms before raising a family.
Joyce and John met on a blind date at which they saw the movie “The Mouse That Roared.” Inseparable after that, they were married for 62 years. They taught their sons Chuck, Jack and Bob the importance of education, reading and intellectual achievement. Joyce and her family also traveled widely, both in the U.S. and Europe.
Throughout much of her adult life, Joyce’s passion was buying and selling antiques, collectibles, ephemera and books. She reluctantly retired from that profession, but her grandson Max is one of the many to benefit from reading the volumes she collected. Her smaller pleasures included visiting beaches, exercising, spending time with friends, reading mystery novels, baking, the Boston Pops, sightseeing and the occasional Sam Adams.
In addition to John and her sons, Joyce’s surviving family include Bob’s wife Amy Agigian and son Max Agigian; Chuck’s partner Charlotte McGuinn Freemanl; her brother Jack Larkin of Connecticut; and many nieces and nephews. She enjoyed lifelong friendships that began in her college years and after. Joyce’s brother Harold and sister Florence predecease her.
In lieu of flowers, we invite you to make a contribution to a charity of your choosing. Services will be announced at a later date.
