Bridgewater, NJ – Joyce Elaine (Murdock) Winston, age 82, died of natural causes on April 6, 2023 at her long-term residence, Bridgeway Care and Rehabilitation Center, in Bridgewater, NJ.

Joy  was born on September 21, 1940 in Newark, NJ, to Ethel (Saager) Murdock and Thomas Struthers Murdock. She grew up in Morris Plains, NJ. She earned an Associate of Arts degree at Centenary College, and then, after a brief stint working at the Morristown Daily Record, she
went to Texas to attend Midwestern University, where she studied History and Political Science. She received a Bachelor's degree in 1963.

At Midwestern, Joy met her future husband, John Michael Winston, and they married August 29, 1964 in John's hometown of Wichita Falls, TX. With John, who was in the Air Force, they lived all over the United States and world, including Bitburg, Germany; Incirlik, Turkey, and Mountain
Home, Idaho, before settling in 1977 in Durham, New Hampshire, where she and John lived until John's death in 2019.

Joy had several life-long hobbies and passions. She loved living abroad and remembered with special fondness her time in Germany, where she learned to downhill ski, a sport she continued to enjoy in New Hampshire's beautiful White Mountains. In Turkey, she developed her lifelong
interest in cooking, especially the French cuisine of Julia Childs. Joy loved cooking for her family and enjoyed hosting dinner parties where people could appreciate excellent food. Some of her favorite dishes were French beef stew and Julia Childs' chocolate mousse. Joy was also an avid reader and enjoyed mysteries, English history, and contemporary fiction. In Durham, especially in her later years, she belonged to several book clubs. Joy was a long-time member of the Episcopal Church and especially loved high, formal church services with the clergy in full
vestments, hymns sung by a choir, and incense.

Joy held numerous jobs in Durham but had a particular passion for the position she held for two decades as the Administrative Assistant for the University of New Hampshire's Cambridge and London Programs (1990-2011). She coordinated logistics for the programs and assisted
students as they navigated the challenges of financial aid, credit transfer, and (often) first-time international travel. This role allowed Joy to combine her formidable organizational skills with her love of literature, English history, and travel abroad. She helped hundreds of students study
in England. Half a dozen times, Joy traveled to Cambridge to serve as an on-site coordinator for the UNH Cambridge Program's summer excursions. She loved visiting and helping students to experience English landmarks, such as Cambridge University, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and English castles, such as Warwick Castle and Hatfield House. She especially enjoyed planning and participating in the Cambridge Program's four-day excursion to Edinburgh, Scotland to attend the Highland Games and visit historic Edinburgh Castle.

UNH English professors involved in the London Program during Joy's time working there still recall with admiration the calming and reassuring support she gave the London program & anxious parents and students following the 2005 terrorist bombings in the city. In 2008, Joy received a UNH Presidential Award for Excellence for her work as an Administrative Assistant. Speaking about the award, Joy also recalled her work after those traumatic attacks as one of her proudest work achievements.

In her later years, Joy suffered from dementia, but she continued to fondly remember her time in Germany, Turkey, and England.

Joy was predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Ethel Murdock, her brother, Richard (who died when he was very young), and her husband, John. Survivors include her three daughters, Kirstie Aileen Winston of Pennsylvania, Alison Kay (Winston) Iati of Florida, and Jessica Lynn
Winston of Idaho; and five grandchildren, Matthew Stinson, Noelle Iati, Lucie Iati, Adam Skidmore, and Robert Skidmore.

A graveside service at East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton, NJ, is planned for June.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support a student studying abroad on the University of New Hampshire's London Program. Donations can be sent directly to the English Department or given via www.unh.edu/give/fund-finder and choose "English."  With
either option, please include a note: "Joy Winston Memorial - London Program."