Joycelyne A. Kinch

Joycelyne Antonio Kinch, née Gooding, was born on August 24, 1950 to Lionel and Lorna Gooding in Eastlyn, St. George, Barbados. She attended Ellerton Primary School and Christ Church High School.

In 1968, she joined the General Post Office as a stamp seller where she would meet her eventual husband, Henderson “Roy” Kinch and best friend, Hazel “Marcia” Worrell. She sang in the Ellerton Gospel Hall and the Barbados Festival Choir with pride.

A trailblazing and driven young woman, she left her island home in 1972 to emigrate to the United States in search of educational and economic opportunities for herself and for her large and extended family. She and Roy soon married and expanded their family with the births of Michelle in 1975 and Antoine in 1977. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the State University of New York, Old Westbury and began a long career as an internal auditor in retail and banking institutions, most recently at New York Community Bank.

Myrna, as she was affectionately known, was a woman who took pride in her culinary skills, who rooted for and staunchly defended her family, and who loved The Lord. Her selflessness, devoted caregiving and ability to manage resources came naturally as the eldest of 11. With all the lives that she touched with her good deeds during her journey, we are confident that she left this world a much better place than when she joined it.

After a courageous battle with multiple myeloma, she joined her sister, Yvette; her niece, Andrea and her nephew, Corey with our loving God in eternal peace on July 21, 2020 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center In Boston.

Joycelyne is survived by her husband of 45 years, Roy; her children: Michelle Shell and Antoine Kinch and his wife, Shaunté; her grandchildren: Greg Shell, Jr., Amari Kinch, Elijah Shell, Naomi Kinch and Crisette Kinch; her parents: Lionel and Lorna Gooding; her siblings: Santa, Margot, Stephen, Maureen, Richard (Audrey), Maxeen (Atlee), Wendy, Juliette and Sharon Gooding; her brother in law, Richard (Beverly) Kinch; her aunts and uncles: Gwendolyn Clarke, Emelda, Ashley and Anthony Franklyn; and over 20 nieces and nephews. She is a relative of the Greene, Alleyne, Greenidge, Griffin and Gaul families of St. George, Barbados.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Joycelyne Kinch may be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s, Department of Hematology and Oncology at www.bidmc.org/giving or by check made payable to “Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center” with “Dept Hem/Onc” on the memo line and mailed to: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Attn: Sarah Hart, Office of Development, 330 Brookline Ave. (OV), Boston, MA 02215