Joyce A.M. (MacMullen) Wootten

Joyce A. M. Wootton, Sept 10, 1929 – January 12, 2022

Born in the Philadelphia area, she was the daughter of Helen (Pflieger) and Earl MacMullen and was a woman ahead of her time. After graduating from Upper Darby High School, she earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, where she edited the yearbook, and was active in the Christian Association and promoting equal opportunity. After working as a chemist for Sharp and Dohme and Merck, and bicycling around Europe with her sister Gloria, Joyce earned a PhD in Biochemistry from Cornell University, studying the synthesis of sterols. At Cornell, she met her husband of over 60 years, John Wootton, and after several years in England they settled in Ithaca, NY, raising four children. When her children began school, Joyce returned to biochemistry as a technician in Food Science at Cornell, at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto, California, and then returned to Cornell as a research associate in Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, studying connective tissue diseases. 

Joyce was devoted to her immediate and extended family. She enjoyed gardening, piano, singing, classical music, and travel. She was widely curious and a good listener who found everyone interesting and would take any opportunity to strike up a substantive conversation.

She is survived by her husband John; children John Timothy (Cathy Pfister), David (Gina Snyder), Barbara (Marc Charpentier), and Bruce (Anne Wong); eight grandchildren, John Marc, Eric, John Benjamin, Anna, Mia, Christopher, Forrest, and Tanner; and a number of beloved nephews and nieces.  Donations may be made to the American Association of University Women in lieu of flowers.

A funeral service will be held January 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Ithaca, NY.  

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