Joyce Leissner Obituary

Joyce Theresa Bonaventure Leissner, 88 passed away peacefully at her home in Seguin on July 22, 2025. Joyce was born on September 7, 1936 in Oscar, Louisiana to Beulah (Hernandez) and Threz Bonaventure. She graduated co-valedictorian from Rougon High School in Lakeland, LA, in 1954. She attended nursing school in New Orleans at Charity Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1957 with a Registered Nurse diploma. Joyce was a woman of remarkable skills, known for her incredible talent as a seamstress and an avid bridge player. Her amazing bedside manner was front and center during her career as a registered Nurse for 50+ years including 40 years at GRMC. Her passion for sewing & quilting was evident in the beautiful pieces she created, each stitch infused with her love and care. She also had a deep appreciation for gardening, where she lovingly tended to her African Violets and outdoor plants. Joyce found beauty in these blooms, just as she found beauty in the relationships she nurtured throughout her life. She was a member of multiple bridge groups, St. Ann's Circle at St. James Catholic Church and a true-blue friend to ladies across the country. Joyce met the love of her life, Jim Leissner, at New Orleans Mardi Gras in 1957 and married him in 1958. They moved to Seguin in the early 1970's and, as a devoted wife and mother, she exhibited boundless love and patience, becoming both a guiding light and a nurturing support for her family. Her legacy will continue to resonate within them, a reflection of her loving spirit. Joyce is preceded in death by her loving husband of 66 years, James "Jim" Calhoun Leissner, daughter, Laura Leissner Carlson, son, Nathan Charles Leissner, her parents, her siblings, Joseph & Lurline Bonaventure, and brother-in-law, Richard Bello. Survivors include her daughters, Blanche Walker and husband Neal, Naomi Williams and husband Tom, and Diane Baines and husband John; grandchildren, Trez & Skyler Walker, and Violet Carlson; sister, Hazel Bello; niece, Carmen Lemons; Aunt Helen Black; other loving family members and a host of friends. As we remember Joyce, we celebrate a life well-lived, full of creativity, compassion, and unwavering love. She touched the lives of so many and will be deeply missed, but her spirit will forever bloom in the memories she leaves behind. Visitation will begin on Saturday, August 16, 2025 at 10 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church followed by the Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. with the Reverend Monsignor Dennis Darilek officiating. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall at St. James. Private graveside services will be held at Boeker Cemetery in Guadalupe County. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be offered to the Charity Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association (of which Joyce was a graduate from the Nursing School) for the Leissner Scholarship established in memory of their deceased children, Nathan and Laura, P. O. Box 19103, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70179.