Joyce Page

Joyce Ripper Page was the 4th of 5 children born to Rev. Dr. C Harold & Opal (Wheeler) Ripper in 1936. She grew up and graduated from college in Bethany, Oklahoma where she met and married Monte M. Page in 1957. After college graduation she taught elementary school in Kansas and Oklahoma for 9 years before moving to Lincoln for her husband to teach at the University of Nebraska. She realized her calling was really Social Work so earned a Master’s of Social Work at UNL graduating in 1974. She was Supervisor of Group Homes for Girls at Nebraska Center for Children & Youth (1974-1976), Social Worker and Supervisor of Social Services for LRC Security Service (1976-1979) where she established and facilitated Support Groups for Parents of the Chronically III Adult Males and Parents of Sex Offenders. Along with the psychologist, they began a treatment group for sex offenders. In 1979 she began work at CMHCLC in the Chronically Mentally III Program and supervised that program until her retirement in 1996. While there, she established and facilitated a Parent Support Group for parents of the clients plus started a library of books on mental health for parents as well as providing supervision of staff, case management and psychotherapy.

Following her retirement she was a volunteer for Tabitha Hospice for 5 years plus increasing her sewing skills and other creative activities. She was active at 1st United Methodist Church, Lincoln Quilters Guild and various other groups in the Lincoln community.

In the 1980’s Joyce & her family moved to an acreage south of Lincoln where they spent 30+ years. In 2012 they moved to Dearborn Heights, MI to be near their daughter so she could help as her husband’s Parkinson’s Disease worsened. After his death in 2015, she became active in Dearborn 1st United Methodist Church where she made many new friends and participated in several groups, sang in the choir and served on several committees. She returned to Lincoln in 2019.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, her parents-in-law, her husband of almost 58 years and her siblings and spouses: LeRoy (Margaret) Ripper, Nadene (Ramon)Richards, Darlene Ripper Graves and Marloe (Dolores) Ripper She is survived by her children: Kevin (Ken) (Linda) of Dallas, Michael (Susan Steider) of Lincoln and Janet Page Safawi of Lincoln, her grandchildren: Ali, Serena and Mohamed Safawi and Isabella Page. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law and spouses: Marilyn (Charles) Moreland and Gloria (Garry) Wright and a large extended family including nieces, nephews, and cousins and many friends in both Lincoln and Dearborn, MI.

At Joyce’s request, she will be cremated and there will be no services. She strongly felt the need to help with food insecure families, therefore memorials can be sent to the Food Bank of Lincoln or Matt Talbot Kitchen.

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