Joyce M. (Tambascio) Iodice, a longtime resident of Framingham, died Sunday, April 13, 2025 after a period of declining health. She was the oldest of four daughters born to Jack and Mary Tambascio.
Joyce was born in Boston 76 years ago and spent the first few years of her life in Newton with her parents. She then lived in Watertown for over five decades.
As a teenager, Joyce worked at Stop & Shop throughout high school. She took great pride in being able to pay for her little sisters’ dance lessons, recital costumes, and adorable outfits. She always felt like they were her own children.
Later, Joyce worked at the Arsenal in Watertown for the commander, handling top-secret information related to the Vietnam War. She also worked at her parents’ beloved sub shop, Jack and Mary’s, in Watertown. Though everyone loved her there, customers would always ask if her mom could make the coffee—because, as Joyce would laugh and admit, she “made the worst cup of coffee.”
Joyce and Bob actually knew each other as children. Their grandmothers’ backyards bordered each other, and they would often play together. Years went by without contact until one evening, while hanging out with her best friend, Joyce saw Bob at Dunkin’ Donuts. She immediately recognized him and went over to say hello. Less than a year later, they were engaged—Joyce was 22 and Bob was 20. Their marriage lasted over 53 years, through life’s many ups and downs, and they faced every challenge together with love and strength.
After marrying, Joyce moved to the other side of the family duplex to remain close to her parents and sisters. She dedicated her life to raising her children and caring for her aging parents. Her love for her sisters never wavered. Her home always had an open-door policy—she cherished every visit from them, as well as from her nieces and nephews.
In 2004, Joyce and Bob moved into her dream home in Framingham—a cozy ranch close to their children. Joyce and Bob found pure joy in spending time with their grandchildren. Their granddaughters were the light of their lives. Any pain or stress would fade when the girls were around; they healed Joyce’s soul with their love and laughter.
Joyce had the biggest and most giving heart. She showed her love through thoughtful gestures, often in the form of home-cooked meals and delicious homemade desserts that brought everyone together. In her kitchen, food wasn’t just food—it was love, comfort, and care. Even in the last few years, when she wasn’t well enough to cook or bake like she used to, she always wanted to have “a little something” to offer her granddaughters, family, and friends. Her kindness, generosity, and thoughtfulness were constant, no matter what she was going through.
She was a proud and devoted mother to Sandra and Alexis Avila of Wellesley, Heather and Michael Pippos of Framingham, and her honorary son, Justin Calderon of Watertown. She was the most loving and adoring Nana to her three “angels”—her granddaughters, Samantha Joy and Makayla Pippos, and Sophia Avila.
Joyce was preceded in death and lovingly welcomed to heaven by her husband, Bob Iodice.
Family and friends are invited to honor and remember Joyce’s life by gathering for a time of visitation in the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, on Thursday, April 24th beginning at 10AM. Her funeral service will follow in the funeral home at 11:30AM. Interment will be private.
In memory of Joyce, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org, a cause meaningful to our family and many others. We also invite you to pause and reflect on what truly matters in life. Don’t wait to tell the people in your life how much they mean to you. Listen with your whole heart when someone shares a cherished memory—even if you’ve heard it before. Consider sending a “thinking of you” card to someone in a nursing home who might need a reminder that they are not forgotten.
Whatever you choose to do, we thank you. Honoring Joyce means sharing kindness, love, and time—just as she always did.
To share a memory with Joyce’s family, kindly visit www.mccarthyfh.com
Norton, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home