On June 2, 2026, our hearts were broken as we said goodbye to our beloved Nelda “Joyce” Dillard, who passed away peacefully at her home in Carson City, Nevada, at the age of 85.

Born on May 1, 1941, Joyce lived a life centered around love, family, and helping others. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, her husband, Darrell Dean Dillard, who passed away in November 2006. She is also proceeded by her father Jack Talllant and her mother Opal, her brothers Tommy, Jerry, and Freddie and her two sisters Melba and Annie. While they are now reunited, those left behind will deeply miss the love and warmth that Nelda brought into the world every day.

She leaves behind her brother Johnny and sister Jeanette, her children, Patti (Rusty) Babb and Donald Dillard; her grandchildren, Renee (Patrick) Leighton, Darlene Dillard, Tamara (Shaun) Cox, and Robyn (Patrick) Tinker, Rachel; her treasured great-grandchildren, Destiny (Alec), Becca, Carlos, Jenna, Tarra, Patrick III, Connor, Jacob, Nicholas, Lillyonna, Aiden, Rian, and Conor; and her adored great-great-grandchildren, Jordan, Ashton, Rylan, Brooklynne, Oakley, Alexander Jr., and Laken. She also leaves behind countless extended family members, dear friends, and many who were not related by blood but were family in every way that mattered.

To know Joyce was to know unconditional love. Her door was never closed to anyone. If you needed a place to stay, a hot meal, a shoulder to cry on, or simply someone to listen, her home was always open. No one was ever turned away. She welcomed people into her life with open arms and an open heart, and because of that, she became “Mom” and “Nana” to so many beyond her own family.

Her family often joked that if you had a question, you called Nana. Whether it was advice, a recipe, family history, or one of life’s bigger problems, she always seemed to know the answer. She carried a lifetime of wisdom, stories, and lessons, and she shared them generously with everyone around her.

Joyce had a way of making people feel safe, loved, and accepted. She remembered the little things, celebrated every accomplishment, and stood by those she loved through life’s hardest moments. Her laughter, her stories, her strength, and her caring spirit created memories that her family will carry forever.

The true measure of a life is found in the lives it touches, and Joyce’s life was extraordinary. Her legacy is not only found in her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, but also in the countless people she took in, cared for, encouraged, and loved as her own.

Though our hearts ache in her absence, we find comfort in knowing that her love remains with us. Every lesson she taught, every story she shared, every meal she prepared, every hug she gave, and every act of kindness she showed will continue to live on through those who were blessed to know her.

Our beloved Nana leaves behind a space that can never be filled, but also a lifetime of memories that can never be taken away. We will miss her every day, love her always, and carry her spirit with us forever.

Until we meet again Nana!

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