Joyce Yvonne Spingola

JOYCE YVONNE SPINGOLA, August 20, 1936 – June 19, 2025 - Joyce Yvonne Spingola, 88, left this earth on June 19, 2025 in Bakersfield, California. Joyce was born in Bakersfield, August 20, 1936 and attended Bakersfield High School. She and her sister Marian were raised by their mother, Angelina Maggenti. Upon graduating BHS in 1954, she and a girlfriend packed their bags and moved to San Francisco, California where she worked as a switchboard operator. Story goes, while she was working, an elevator technician was enamored with her red shoes and he asked her out on a date, which she accepted. In April 1957, she married this elevator technician, Guido John Spingola and they started their family shortly thereafter. Joyce was a proud and dedicated mother to her 3 sons, Michael Charles, Steven John and James Guido. They were a typical Italian-American family and their life was full of football games, baseball games, wrestling matches, school plays and cub scouts in San Bruno, California. It was an idyllic life until tragedy struck in 1976 and her eldest son Michael was killed in a car accident. She began her own career in healthcare marketing in 1980 when she and Guido became empty nesters and became quite successful. She retired in 1997 and returned to Bakersfield to be closer to her grandchildren, Stephanie and Michael whom she adored. She loved country music and dancing -- she coached people in line-dancing at the Crystal Palace. She was a frequent dancing patron at Trouts until its closure. She truly lived her fun-loving life -- she was the epitome of social butterfly. She was a proud Citizen Volunteer with the Kern County Sheriffs Department for many years. She is survived by her son Steven Spingola and his partner Jared Wendt of San Francisco, her son James Spingola and daughter-in-law Janet Spingola of Bakersfield, her grand-daughter Stephanie Vidovich and grandson-in-law Stephen Vidovich of Capitola, grandson Michael Spingola of Bakersfield and great-grandson Vito Vidovich and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother Angelina Maggenti Napier 1915-1988, sister Marian Weichelt 1934-2009, son Michael Spingola 1957-1976 and Guido Spingola 1934-1996.There will be a graveside service at Greenlawn Southwest Memorial Park, Friday, June 27 at 10am. Reception to follow service; location to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimers Foundation, alzfdn.org