Obituary of Joyce L Van Bemmelen

Joyce Lenz VanBemmelen, daughter of Dorothy and Carl K. Lenz of Scarsdale, NY passed away on August 29th 2024 at the age of 97. Joyce was born in Cleveland, OH and then her family moved to Scarsdale where she finished her high school years at The Masters School at Dobbs Ferry. From there she went to Parsons School of Design and studied Interior Design. She worked for Lord & Taylor and Schumacher Design in NYC. She met her future husband, Henri M. VanBemmelen on a ski trip to Mt. Sunapee. They married in 1953 and resided in Rye, NY for many years eventually retiring to Old Saybrook, Ct and then MeadowRidge Retirement in Redding, CT in 2016. She had lots of interests; love of nature and the outdoors. She had a very good "green thumb" tending her outdoor gardens and indoor plants. She loved all creatures great and small and enjoyed sports, especially tennis. She loved having parties with friends and always made time for her family. She had quite the gift of conversation verbally or in her letter writing. She was always upbeat and enthusiastic and tried to see the bright side of things. She had a new love at MeadowRidge, hummingbirds and watching the latest golf tournament, tennis match and game show. She is survived by her son, Michael of Stamford, Ct, daughter Debbie and Ken Lang of Darien, Ct, son Jim of Providence, RI. She has 4 grandchildren, Kathryn and Chad Lawlis, Julia Lang of Boston, MA, Austin and Nicole VanBemmelen, of Rhode Island, Ashley and Mike Murphy, of Rhode Island. She has a great grandchild, Ada Grace born on July 5th, 2024. If you would like to make a contribution in her name, she was involved in Meals on Wheels, or T.O.P.S, or any animal rescue organization.