Joyce Butler ~ Swords

Joyce Ann Butler Swords, 72, of Greenfield, Indiana, went home to her Heavenly Father on Saturday, March 23, 2019. She went peacefully in her home, surrounded by her loving family. Joyce was born on October 31, 1946 in Indianapolis, IN, and was the first child of Ruby (Boone) Butler and William Thomas Butler Senior. She married the love of her life, William (Bill) Franklin Swords, on April 18, 1969 and soon after they started their family. Even as their young family grew, they were free spirits with a bit of wanderlust and moved from one warm state to another to live, but always returning home where her most valuable treasure was settled, her family. Joyces greatest passion was her family; she loved nothing more than spending time with her daughters, her grandchildren, sisters, and nephews. She loved her children fiercely and was always their greatest supporter, confidant, and endless source of love. Joyce was full of life, had an endless amount of energy, and could never sit still for long. She was a great athlete in her school years and even mastered a hover board at the tender age of seventy. She was a talented writer and would pen wonderful letters to those she loved and cherished. Joyce loved to travel, enjoyed music, gardening, relished in warm weather, truly appreciated a good cup of coffee, taking long drives in the country, trips to Brown County with her daughters to visit her grandparents property, and hugs from her grandbabies. She was a proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Post 2693. She was never one to covet what anyone else had because she already knew she had everything that was important, a family that she loved and that loved her. Joyce was a wonderful woman who lived life to the fullest, was the life of the party, forgave people with ease, and walked through this life with humor, grace, compassion, and love. She was tiny, but what she lacked in stature, she made up for in might. She always wanted to be a mother and wife and played that role beautifully. She is missed so profoundly and life will never be the same for those that loved her so deeply. She was known for her strength, lively spirit, feistiness, fun nature, kindness, and forgiving heart. She leaves behind a legacy of hope and love that will live on in all those whose lives she touched. She is survived by her daughters, Dodie Swords Simms (Pat), of Floyds Knobs, IN , Kirma Swords Schulz (Matthew), and their four children Asyat, Yonan, Narsai, and Nineveh, of Bloomington, IN, and Nichole Swords Brooks and her two daughters, Olivia and Mia, and their father, Shane Brooks, of Greenfield, IN, her former husband, Dale Johnson, her stepchildren Angel Johnson, of Indianapolis, IN, and Jeremiah Johnson, of New Castle, IN. Her cherished sisters, Dee Cox and her son Jesse Cox, of Greenfield, IN, Tammy Haskins and her sons Eric, his wife Jordan and their daughter, Hadley, Travis, and Jake of Kernersville, North Carolina, and Kirma Shamblin (Marlana)and her son Mark, of Noblesville, IN. She is preceded in death by her beloved mother, Ruby, her father, William, her stepfather Brian Shamblin, her husband, Bill, her brother, Tom, her nephew, Tommy, and several cousins and friends. Heaven had a grand celebration when Joyce was welcomed home. Family, friends, and others, whose lives Joyce has touched are invited to Stillinger Family Funeral Home, 1780 W. Main St Greenfield, In, on Thursday, April 4th, 2019 from 3pm-6pm for visitation with the funeral directly following, to reminisce, grieve, support one another, and of course, celebrate all the love and laughter Joyce brought into this world.