Joyce M. Orte

JOYCE M. ORTE

Iowa City

Joyce M. Orte, 81, of Iowa City, died Monday, April 20, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Joyce Marilyn Blough was born July 24, 1938, in Fairfield, Iowa, the daughter of John and Beulah (Stewart) Blough. Following graduation from Fairfield High School, she began a career in the law offices of Simpson Law where she worked for more than 25 years. Joyce married Donald Brown on April 25, 1957. They later divorced. In 1982, she married Marvin R. Orte. In 1987, the couple moved to Iowa City where she continued her career in the law offices of Leff, Leff and Leff Attorneys at Law, retiring in 2012.

Joyce enjoyed her life, she liked the outdoors watching and feeding her birds, caring for her gardens, enjoying the game of golf (which she was known to be very good at). She was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan and Chicago Cubs fan. Joyce also was a member of the Moose Lodge for many years.

Her family includes her husband, Marvin; daughter, Michelle Smith (Dwayne); son, Doug Brown (Brenda); three grandchildren, Joshua Smith, Mark Brown (Autumn) and Meloney (Justin) Stein; two great-grandchildren, Jace Stein and Oakley Brown; and many members of Marvin's family.

She was preceded in death by an infant son, Danny; her parents, brother, Bill Blough; sister, JoAnn Deatsch; and an infant sister, Margaret Blough.

Private family graveside services have been held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Moose Lodge or a charity of your choice. To share a thought, memory or condolence, please visit the funeral home website at www.gayandciha.com.

Joyce's family would like to thank everyone at Mercy Hospital for their professional compassionate care of Joyce and our family. Her family would also like to acknowledge many years of friendship and support by Mark Danielson and others at the Leff Law firm; they have been Joyce's other family!