The family of Joyce Stanley Carter is heartbroken to share the news of her death. She passed away on Feb. 9, just shy of her 71st birthday.

Joyce was a true original, and there will never be anyone like her again.

She always liked the fact that she was born in Cuba. It was her unique point of origin and a great conversation starter. It also gave her a chance to talk about one of her favorite people in the world: our father, Clyde Stanley, who was stationed for a time at Guantanamo Bay while in the Navy. She was so proud of him and his service in World War II and the Korean War. The baby pictures of Joyce shot on that island in the early 1950s—with our father and mother, Margaret Cecil Stanley, and sister, Patricia—are among the family's most treasured possessions.

Joyce, who spent most of her life in Louisville, went on to graduate from Iroquois High School and Spencerian College. She was a potent combination of beauty and brains, with a head for numbers and an eye for detail. She worked for many years at Citizens Fidelity Bank and then at the Brown Hotel, where she was a valued member of the accounting staff. While there, she also bonded with Chef Joe Castro over their mutual love of fine food.

She was an animal lover who doted on her pets, a fashionista, a voracious reader and a fiercely loyal friend and sibling. If she loved you, you knew it. She had your back, accepting you for exactly who you were, flaws and all. She was unwavering in her support for those she cared about, and she was a go-to confidant and a tireless cheerleader for her sister Terry.

Joyce was high maintenance—and she might even have admitted it—but it was part of her charm. She had a wicked sense of humor and a razor sharp wit, just like our father. She married later in life and spent eight wonderful years with Johnn Max Carter. Though she was devastated at his death in 2007, she found comfort in her faith and spirituality.

The family will miss her more than words can express, and we plan to hold a memorial at a later date. Joyce was never a fan of cut flowers (she preferred to see them growing in the wild) so we would ask that anyone who wishes to honor her would do so by donating to any of her favorite charities: Hosparus Health of Louisville, Wounded Warriors and the Kentucky Humane Society.