From Student to Benefactor: Joyce Feldmiller

Late in life, Joyce Feldmiller reflected on her accomplishments and joys, fondly remembering the friends she made and the scholarship support that allowed her to accomplish her dreams. More than anything, she wanted to give back—to the university that set her on her life’s path, and to Western students like her, who need extra financial support to make higher education a possibility.

She established the Joyce E. Feldmiller Scholarship Fund through her estate plans, which provides support for students in Western’s Woodring College of Education with a preference for first-generationstudents. In death, as in life, Joyce celebrated and supported the power of a Western education to transform lives—from theWoodring students directly benefitting from scholarship support  to the many future students these Western alumni will teach in their classrooms. 

Joyce Elaine Feldmiller was born in Portland, Oregon on May 8, 1945. She graduated from Renton High School in 1963, where she was an accomplished student and received several awards and recognition for her academics. Without any financial support from her family, Joyce took an unusual job with a taxidermist right after high school graduation, painting noses and other features on “stuffed” animals, to save money for college. 

She arrived at Western in January 1965, moving into the Kappa dorm where she met several women who would become lifelong friends. Joyce credited Western with changing her life, and this is where she found her “family” of friends. She excelled academically and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1969. Joyce continued her studies in education, ultimately receiving a master’s degree. She also completed continuing education courses at the University of Washington.

As an educator, Joyce taught in the Burlington and Seattle school districts. She worked for a time as the Director of the Teaching Academy, a Gates Foundation-funded organization. She later taught ESL to the many immigrant students at Washington Middle School and Rainier Beach High School. She also taught ESL to adults, including Japanese businesspeople. She befriended many immigrant families. 

She spent a transformative year as a student in Kobe, Japan and enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and daily life. She loved to travel, and traveled extensively to Japan, China, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and various countries in Europe and South America. 

In addition to her adventurous spirit, she was also a skilled writer. In 1991, co-authored a memoir with Sachiko Iwami which is included in the Special Collections of the University of Washington Libraries. The memoir details Sachiko’s life as a Japanese American and her husband’s evacuation and relocation during World War II.

Joyce loved living in Seattle, particularly enjoying the arts and culture, including opera. She was an artist herself and enjoyed painting with watercolors and acrylics. She was also an avid reader, with an extensive library. She loved animals,especially her dog, Elizabeth, who brought her much joy. 

Joyce passed away on July 14, 2023 after a rich, rewarding life, made possible, in part, by her education at Western.

Her kindess and generosity will be felt by generations of Western students through her scholarship.