PEABODY- Mrs. Joyce (Lidstone) Thornburg, 91, of Peabody, beloved wife of Richard A. Thornburg, died Friday, December 2, 2016 at Continuing Care of Brooksby Village. Born in New York City, NY she was the daughter of the late John B. and Olive (Woodall) Lidstone. Raised and educated in New York, she was a graduate of the Evander Childs High School in the Bronx. Joyce continued her education at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA and received her Masters degree from Fairfield University. Mrs. Thornburg had been employed as an English Teacher for the Norwalk High School for many years and had also been employed at Westchester Community College. As a life long educator, Joyce did her best to engage and inspire all of her students. She influenced many lives over the years; however, her family was paramount. She was a loving and dedicated wife, mother and grandmother and great grandmother and will be deeply missed by her family and her many students and friends. She was recognized by her beautiful smile. As a volunteer she spent more than 10 years as a docent at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Ct. She had an abiding interest in showing and interpreting great art to children. In addition to her husband Richard with whom she shared 66 years of marriage, she is survived by her sons, Richard W. Thornburg and his wife Lynette of Suffield, CT and John D. Thornburg and his wife Elizabeth of Dallas, TX, her grandchildren, Kate Betz and her husband Dave of Austin, TX, Jonathan Thornburg and his wife Amanda of Plano, TX; Jennifer Osowiecki and her husband Noel of Windsor, CT and Stephanie Stone of Windsor, CT. She has seven great grandchildren. ARRANGEMENTS: Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral service which will be held in the Chapel at Brooksby Village, 100 Brooksby Village Drive, Peabody, Wednesday, December 7 at 1:00 P.M. Assisting the family with arrangements is the Peterson-O'Donnell Funeral Home, 167 Maple Street, (Rte. 62) Danvers. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Joyce's memory to Brooksby Village C/O Resident Care Fund, 100 Brooksby Village Drive, Peabody, MA 01960. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com