Joyce Whiteley Martin Logan Obituary | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

JOYCE WHITELEY MARTIN LOGAN, 89, died peacefully surrounded by her children on July 19, 2024, in her Woodland Heights apartment in Little Rock, Arkansas. Joyce was born on July 9, 1935, in Chicago, the daughter of John Albert Martin, a Montgomery Ward department store manager, and Eva Marie Niedermayer. She spent her childhood in the Chicago suburb of Evanston and often recalled attending Chicago Cubs baseball games with her mother, who, according to Joyce’s account, was something of a heckler. After her parents divorced, Joyce attended Tudor Hall, an all-girls boarding school in Indianapolis, until she was two years old. She then returned to the Chicago area to live with her father and stepmother, Richenda “Betty” Frye, a businesswoman and former editor of a women’s magazine, and graduated from Niles Township High School. Joyce always credited Betty with raising her to adulthood and considered her her “spiritual mother.” Betty was originally from Colorado, and Joyce spent her summers during high school and college living with Betty’s family in Denver or working at various resort locations in the mountains. Joyce attended the University of Colorado Boulder for two years, where she majored in, as she put it, “skiing.” At her father’s urging and “to improve her grades,” Joyce transferred to Lindenwood College for Women in St. Charles, Missouri, where she graduated in 1957 with a degree in psychology and a minor in French. After college, Joyce became a flight attendant for Pan Am, flying routes around the world for a little less than a decade during the “golden age” of aviation. She had numerous stories from this period in her life, including some about her famous passengers, such as actress Elizabeth Taylor and former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. She lived primarily in New York City, where a mutual family friend introduced her to her future husband, Dr. Charles Wilbur Logan, then a surgical resident at Cornell Medical Center. Thus began a remarkable union that would last more than five decades. Charles and Joyce married in 1964, and after living briefly in Houston and South Carolina, they put down roots in Little Rock, where they raised three children and became professionally and socially entwined in the fabric of the city. Their many shared interests enriched their marriage, including family and international travel (including visits to every continent at least once), baseball (including season tickets to the Arkansas Travelers and annual trips to spring training), and horse racing (including being a fixture at the Oaklawn Jockey Club and annual trips to Saratoga Race Course). They were also avid social entertainers, with the annual duck dinners they hosted for two decades still fondly remembered by friends. Charles and Joyce were also regular attendees of Pulaski Heights Methodist and St. James Methodist churches. Joyce’s many personal interests included reading, tennis, and backyard bird watching. Other than her family, few things gave Joyce more pleasure than doing a jigsaw puzzle, an enthusiasm she passed on to her children and grandchildren. Joyce believed in serving her community and volunteered at such agencies as the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, and the Central High School Library. She was also active in the Pulaski County Medical Society Auxiliary, including a term as the group’s president. Additionally, she served as a poll worker for state and federal elections for nearly 30 years, including roles as precinct judge and chief judge. She is survived by her children, Charles Russell Logan, Christopher Lee Logan (Sara), and Karen Michelle Budrakey (Erik); three grandchildren: Connor Scott Logan, Vladimir Jon Budrakey, and Nadia Logan Budrakey; brother, Bruce Arthur Martin (Marcia); and cousin, Anne McClellan McKown. Joyce is remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, known for her kind and generous spirit. In her last fifteen years, she battled a devastating illness, which she faced with grace, courage, strength, and resilience, according to those close to her. She never lost her lifelong curiosity about the world and retained the twinkle in her eye, especially when family members came to visit. Her favorite exclamation was “Awesome!” She retained her sense of humor until the end, making those around her laugh with a joke, look or gesture. She will be greatly missed. Joyce will be buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee on August 16, 2024, in a family graveside service. Toward the end of her life, Joyce found it fascinating to visit the parks of Little Rock along the river and watch dogs frolic, children play, and birds fly. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to organizations related to those interests: Humane Society of Pulaski County, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, or Arkansas Audubon Society. The family would like to thank caregivers Robin Cartwright and Angela Aleman, who were with Joyce for the better part of nine years, as well as Belva Hughes and many others cared for by Elder Independence Home Care. Arrangements made by Smith Family Funeral Homes and Joyce’s guestbook may be signed at: www.smithfamilycares.com.

Published on July 28, 2024