In memoriam - Joyce Birkeland

I am so sad that we have lost friend, Joyce Birkeland, to cancer within the past week.  She was a beautiful, generous and warm-hearted person that was gracious with every person with whom she came in contact.  Joyce and her husband, Paul, have been good friends with whom we have travelled to Napa Valley and had planned a trip together to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival this summer before she became so ill.

Her funeral service was in the elegant St. Thomas Church in Medina on the hottest day in Seattle’s history and the chapel was packed with so many friends and relatives of the Birkeland family that a few were left standing.  Following the service, we joined the celebration of her life at Newcastle Golf Club where Paul had brought his entire collection of wine magnums to pour to share with their friends.  He and Joyce had intended to have a party and do that together and since she left us too soon for that event to occur, he decided to use them in her honor.  

The celebration was sad and joyous simultaneously.  There were many friends who shared fun stories of Joyce and Paul and their children both at the microphone and individually throughout the afternoon and evening.  Many winemakers were there in honor of Paul and Joyce’s long-time association with the wine industry as avid collectors and consumers.  It was fun to talk with ZINO Society Advisory Board members and renowned vintners, Tom and Anne Marie Hedges, of Hedges Family Cellars and Greg and Stacy Lill of DeLille Cellars and O Wines.  Also there honoring Joyce were ZINO Society Wine Professional members, Eric Dunham of Dunham Cellars and Kathleen and Tom Schafer of àMaurice .

One of the special memories of the afternoon was at sunset when the sky was pink and a solitary bagpiper played “Amazing Grace”.  There was a hardly a dry eye in the crowd of Joyce’s friends and family as soon as that rasping, haunting melody began.

Joyce and Paul have been dedicated members of ZINO Society. The photo above is from just last winter when Paul and Joyce hosted a ZINO Society Christmas Ships party at their beautiful waterfront home.  Paul always has fun new ideas to suggest for future get-togethers and Joyce was always there with her beautiful smile and sunny temperament.  Beautiful “Joy C B” as Paul often called her, will be missed greatly by all of us who knew her!