Joyce Ann Wiberg

JOYCE ANN WIBERG

Joyce Ann Wiberg (née Prendergast), age 88, passed away peacefully on May 16, 2025, at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Illinois. A lifelong educator and passionate learner, Joyce left an indelible mark on the lives of her students, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Born on September 19, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois, Joyce grew up with a deep appreciation for education and the arts. She graduated from Gage Park High School before continuing her studies at Chicago Teachers College. Her commitment to lifelong learning led her to further her education at Governors State University.

Joyce dedicated 35 years of her life to teaching and shaping young minds with patience and creativity. Her pioneering spirit was evident when she launched the Computer Education Program in Oak Lawn-Hometown School District 123, an initiative that brought innovation into the classroom and prepared countless students for a rapidly changing world.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Joyce was a woman of many talents and interests. For over three decades, she was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, embracing the wonder and joy that magic brings. She assisted her husband in his magic act, appearing at various functions throughout the Chicago area. They appeared several times on the WGN-TVs television show, Bozo’s Circus.

Her artistic soul found expression through oil painting, while her curiosity about design and history drew her to architecture tours. After retiring from teaching, she became a volunteer docent for the Chicago Architecture Foundation, conducting several architectural tours. And serving as the tour director of several. Upon her retirement as a docent, she was awarded the prestigious title of Docent Emeritus.

She also loved to travel, exploring new places with enthusiasm and an open heart. Among the places Joyce and Donald traveled to were the Scandinavian capitals, China, Russia, England, Ireland, Scotland, and Hawaii. She and Don enjoyed cruising and visiting many exotic ports during their lifetime. They also traveled extensively in their motor home throughout the United States.

Joyce was the devoted mother of two fantastic children, Kristen Wiberg, and Craig Wiberg, and his wife Mary Beth, grandmother to two wonderful grandchildren, Andrew Wiberg, Maghan Fleming and her husband Kyle Fleming, and great-grandmother to a beloved three-year-old great-granddaughter Luna Josephine Fleming. Her family was a source of immense pride and joy throughout her life.

Those who knew Joyce remember her as loving, caring, and talented—a woman whose warmth touched everyone she met. Her legacy lives on not only through her family but also through the generations of students she inspired. May her memory bring comfort to those who knew and loved her.

Family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 65 Old Frankfort Way, Frankfort IL 60423 on Saturday, June 7th, 2025 from 9:00 AM until time of the funeral service at 12:00 PM noon. Interment will be private at a later date at Lakeside Cemetery, Colon MI.