Joyce M. Kallas (Baron)

HURLEY, Wis. - Joyce M. Kallas (Baron), 91, of Hurley, died peacefully Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley after a lengthy illness of dementia.

Her last day was spent restfully listening to a video of Jack playing their favorite song on the accordion, "Girl of my Dreams." This was always the first song Jack would play when he started off a set for everyone's entertainment because it was his song to his beautiful bride.

Joyce was born May 7, 1929, in Hurley, daughter of the late Charles Baron and Anna (Younger) Gustafson, and attended Lincoln High School in Hurley.

Joyce was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley. On July 3, 1948, she was united in marriage to John "Jack" Kallas at St. Mary's Catholic Church by the late Msgr. Michael Prock.

Joyce and Jack raised their five children in a loving home that together the two of them shared for 65 years until 2013 when Jack's mini-strokes and Wegener's disease required him to move into the Villa Maria. Joyce visited Jack daily for another three years until dementia/Alzheimer's required her to move into the Villa Maria in 2016.

Joyce spent her days always doing loving things for her family and friends. No birthday or holiday would go by without her sending out cards to let you know she was thinking of you. Joyce was a great cook/baker and always had a good meal and dessert ready to share. She always loved having young ones around, even after her children grew up and had their own families. She would take her grandchildren whether for the weekend or daily while the parents worked.

She enjoyed walking downtown or around the old Hurley track. She also passed her time knitting and doing crossword puzzles; and while in the Villa, she loved playing bingo and getting her nails and hair done.

Surviving are her sons, Bob (Robyn), Saxon, Jim (Penny), Ham Lake, Minnesota, and Ray (Debba), Gallatin, Tennessee; daughters, Jean Ann (Bob) Rajski, Menasha, Wisconsin, and Joan (Jim) Usitalo, Ironwood; 12 grandchildren, Lisa (Mark) Selin, John Kallas, Rebecca (Jon) Sellman, Eric Kallas, Jenna Kallas, Jaime (Paul) Grant, Ryan (Katie) Carton, Tara (Greg) Kelbert, Phillip Carton, Melanie (David) Check, Ashley (Tony) Stella and Sarah (Kyle) Smith; 24 great-grandchildren with another due in May; two great-great-granddaughters with another great-great due later this year; two brothers, Richard (Karen), New London, Wisconsin, and John (Debbie), Mt. Laguna, California; three sisters, Florence Monk and Gerri (John) Mattson, both of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Carol (Bob Tomiko), Manistique, Michigan; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Jack in 2018; brother, Charles; sisters, Elaine Shelkey and Teresa "Tess" Vernetti; brothers-in-law, Bob Kallas and Bob Norman; sister-in-law, Edna Mae Kallas; nephews, Daniel Baron, Bryan Voight, John Dahl, Zac Jilek and Don Kallas; and nieces, Betty Vernetti, Lori (Dahl) Erickson, Mary Lynn Baron and Stella Rae Jilek. 

Out of respect for her wishes, cremation has taken place.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Villa Maria for the exceptional care and kindness extended to Joyce while she was a resident and prior to that when she would be there daily to visit with Jack.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home of Ironwood to honor Joyce's legacy of life, You can leave a condolence or a tribute at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.