Joyce El-Mogazi

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Joyce Foerster El-Mogazi, passed away Thursday, October 7, 2010 at age 69.

Although Joyce spent the majority of her life in Lake Charles, LA, she was born in Miami, Florida, on March 21, 1941 to Richard Edward and Leah Thompson Foerster and spent her youth in Milford and Bountiful, Utah.

Inspired by her parents, Joyce had a wonderful love of nature and hiking trails, especially the red rock country of southwest Utah. She recognized the importance of protecting the environment for all of us to cherish. She loved sharing her knowledge about nature with her family and friends, especially children. An avid bird watcher, she was the editor of the Gulf Coast Bird Club monthly newspaper column for about ten years.

Joyce graduated from Bountiful High School, Utah in 1959. Shortly after high school, she attended classes at the University of Utah where she began to work toward a degree in Middle Eastern Studies learning both Arabic and Persian languages. Although she left the university to marry and start a family, she went on to acquire her bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from McNeese State University later in life while in the midst of raising 3 children. Determined to acquire her college degree, Joyce would walk to classes from her home. While at McNeese, she obtained a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Joyce had a passion for reading and for teaching others. She would substitute teach while her children were in grade school and later volunteered for the Lake Charles Literacy Council, devoting a large portion of her time to teaching students to read and speak English. She earned several awards from local civic clubs and the Governor of Louisiana for her significant effort with the Literacy Council.

For the past 10 years, Yoga was an integral part of Joyce's life. She began practicing in 2000 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004, receiving her certification from the astute Kripalu Center of Yoga and Health in Stockbridge, MA. She loved teaching and sharing her practice with her students.

Joyce also enjoyed doing genealogy work. She spent years tirelessly documenting and learning about her mother and father's ancestors, providing her family and future generations with invaluable insights to their family tree.

Of all her accomplishments, Joyce's caring nature and unrivaled love for her family will be missed most. Her work as a homemaker was appreciated most, helping raise a family united and timelessly bound together by her love. She will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Mohamed El-Mogazi, a daughter Dina, sons Raddi (Susanna) and Ricky (Gretchen); grandchildren Alex, Aleah, Garrett and Jasper. She was preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial service will be held at Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles, Wednesday, October 13, 2010, at 4:00 pm, with a visitation beginning at 3:00 pm. Mr. Brad Moore will be officiating the ceremony. Cremation was entrusted to the Johnson Funeral Home. Internment is planned at Consolata cemetery of Lake Charles privately by the family at a later date.