​Welcome to the PanCAN PurpleStride Team, Walking for Joye, Fundraising Page!

Hi, Friends and Family!

Walking for Joye is taking steps to end pancreatic cancer at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) PurpleStride on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Our team was created in memory of Joye Ramirez, my mother, who passed in December 2021 from stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer.

For those who don't know Joye, below is the biography/obituary written by her oldest daughter, Janeen.

Joye Michelle Ramirez, 65, passed away surrounded by loved ones on December 18th, 2021 after a 4 year battle with pancreatic cancer. Joye was born on December 12th, 1956 to Noah and Lorrain Smith. After graduating from James Marshall High School she went on to study at Sacramento City College where she earned an Associate’s degree.

Joye started out working at a childcare center in West Sacramento which she enjoyed immensely. In 1976 she started as a belt sorter at Blue Diamond Almond growers in and worked her way up to the Candy Kitchen, eventually becoming the Department Lead. In 2017, after 40 years, she retired so she could enjoy life and her grandchildren.

While working at Blue Diamond Joye met the love of her life and her greatest adventure, Al. They met in 1996 and were soon inseparable. They married in 2010 at a family backyard BBQ. For 25 years they worked, lived, retired and raised their children & grandchildren together.

While Joye’s greatest accomplishment was her 2 daughters, Janeen and Brook, and stepdaughter Amanda. Joye’s purest happiness came from her 5 beautiful grandchildren. Joye and Al were thrilled to welcome their first grandchild, Ella in 2014. Ian & Zoe followed close together in 2017. Ethan came quickly after in 2018. Matthew surprised them in 2021.

Although diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and given an 8 to 12-month prognosis, Joye wasn’t giving up easily. She fought hard and valiantly for more time. She was able to visit Yellowstone with Al, her sister Johnnie, & her brother-in-law Perry. The four of them also got to visit Sedona, AZ & chase waterfalls in Oregon. Joye went on a bucket list trip to San Diego with all of her sisters, her daughters, & her niece. She visited Disneyland one last time and enjoyed countless camping trips in between.

Joye was a fighter right up until the very end. Her strength in battling her rare disease inspired many. Her will to live has given her family, especially her grandchildren, so many memories they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Through her valiant battle she taught us all to never give up and never give in. The hole left by her absence is impossible to fill.

We will never be the same. We will never stop missing her. We will from here forward live in her shining example of strength, love, and resilience. The pain we feel this very day will slowly ease over time but the mark she left on us never ever will. We all have the most incredible guardian angel to watch over us now.

Joye was preceded by her parents, Lorrain and Noah, her brother, Charles, and her sister Charlotte. She is survived by her Husband, Al; Her 2 daughters, Janeen (Zac) Gredvig and Brook (Nick) Murray; Her stepdaughter, Amanda (Matthew) Brown; Her five grandchildren, Ella Mae, Ian James, Zoe Dale, Ethan Fox, Matthew Scott Noah; Her siblings, Jackie (Bernie) Valdez, Cary (Judy) Tommersaason, Patricia Plank, Johnnie (Perry) Pelz, Jodi (Bruce) Lish, & Joni Seeber; countless nieces & nephews.

In order to honor her and her struggle we have set an ambitious fundraising goal of $10,000. The more funds we can raise the larger impact we can help PanCAN make in continuing research in detection and treatment and providing support to survivors and their loved ones.

The PanCAN PurpleStride is the primary way PanCAN raises money to fund vital research that can bring new treatment options to patients, and gives them free, personalized one-to-one support through PanCAN Patient Services.

If you would like to go beyond donating and join our team for the walk we would love to have you! Just click the "Join this Team" button at the top or bottom of this page and follow a few easy steps to get set up. Anyone who registers and raises $50 will receive an official PanCAN PurpleStride 2023 T-shirt!

We are hoping to have some fundraising events in the months to come so please keep your eyes open for an email from the team or it's members.

Your support is appreciated by Walking for Joye and the warriors living with Pancreatic Cancer.

Brook Murray
Team Captain
Walking for Joye