The CSU-Pueblo Today family lost one of its members recently.

Professor Emeritus Richard Joyce, retired professor of journalism and former adviser for the Today, died Sunday, Feb. 2 at Parkview Hospital. 

Joyce served as the faculty adviser for the Today from 1994 through 2004. During his years teaching in the mass communications department and advising the Today, Joyce quickly earned a reputation as a passionate professor, a true journalist and a “pull no punches” editor, who was also a supportive and kind mentor and teacher.

Many of Joyce’s former students remember him as a great philosopher with a wealth of knowledge, which he thoroughly enjoyed sharing. He was known to challenge students to think beyond the obvious, and he elicited many meaningful conversations in all of his classrooms.

Joyce was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1947. He served in Vietnam as a member of the U.S. Air Force, teaching English as a second language.

Joyce graduated from the University of Southern Colorado in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. He served as managing editor of the Canon City Daily Record and ultimately joined the faculty of the mass communications program at USC in August 1994. He became assistant professor in mass communications in 1995 and was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor on May 20, 2001.

Joyce retired from CSU-Pueblo at the end of the spring 2016 semester, and he received Professor Emeritus status in May of the same year. He became an adjunct faculty member the summer of 2016 and retired once again in May 2018.

Joyce was a proud alum of CSU-Pueblo who also served many years on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and volunteered thousands of hours at alumni events.

A celebration of Joyce’s life will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Pueblo Union Depot. The family requests no food or flowers but donations may be made to the Richard A. Joyce Memorial Scholarship, CSU Pueblo Foundation, 2200 Bonforte Blvd., Pueblo, CO 81001.