Timothy Curtis Joyce

Timothy C. Joyce, “Tim or TJ”, 70, died April 3, 2026, in Indianapolis from complications after surgery. He loved his daughters fiercely, had a brilliant political mind, and devoted his professional life to public service, achieving high levels of influence without compromising his commitment to humility, humor, or appreciation of those around him.

Born on November 29, 1955, in Rushville, Indiana, Tim moved to Indianapolis at the age of four, where he grew up and later raised his family. He learned patience early when his mother took him and his sisters to her house-cleaning jobs, expecting them to sit quietly while she worked. His lifelong interest in challenging power and helping the little guy was sparked at age 12, when his father took him to walk his first picket line, a place he soon felt comfortable.

Tim’s leadership skills began to flourish in Little League baseball, where he played pitcher and shortstop, and on St. Andrew the Apostle School’s two-time city championship football team, of which he was captain and, though of small stature, played end and linebacker. Growing up alongside his older sister, Margie, and his younger sister, Rita, he developed an early independence that may have sparked his love of solitary activities such as walking in the woods, fishing, and canoeing. He later passed that love along to his daughters through countless adventures hiking and camping in National and State Parks across the country. He also supported his younger brother, Pat, not only on the baseball field but through all stages of life.

Although his academic record did not predict the heights he would reach, he owned up to being a poor student, graduating 160th out of 163 in his Bishop Chatard High School class. He did find time, however, to pass out "Impeach Nixon" bumper stickers. Tim graduated from Ball State University in 1980, where he was a self-styled rabble-rouser and served as vice president of the Muncie chapter of the Citizens Action Coalition. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in natural science planning with minors in political science and geography. He later worked toward a graduate certificate and attended both the Governor’s Executive Management School and Duke University’s Governor’s Leadership School.

Early in his career, Tim worked as a youth counselor in a federal job-training program, managed two political campaigns, and raised funds for the Indiana Democratic Party. There he met Evan Bayh, then running for governor, who hired Tim as his labor coordinator. After Bayh’s victory, Tim joined the administration as executive director of the Student Assistance Commission, where he established the 21st Century Scholars program. This initiative has provided college scholarships to more than 100,000 promising young Hoosiers. He later served as commissioner of the Indiana Departments of Labor and Workforce Development.

Tim went on to serve as chief of staff to Governor Frank O’Bannon and later to the Mayor of the City of Lawrence, offering steady counsel on the right course of action and then executing those decisions. He assembled experts from across state government to create, pass, communicate, and implement Energize Indiana, the most expansive job-creation program in state history. When the state faced a judicial mandate to correct its unconstitutional property tax system, he directed the creation and legislative passage of the boldest tax restructuring effort Indiana had ever undertaken.

As leader of the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, Tim advocated for a plan to create a reception center in Indianapolis to provide emergency shelter for the unhoused. In his final role before retirement, he served in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration as Deputy Director of the City of Indianapolis Department of Public Works, where he built a strong relationship with the brothers and sisters of AFSCME Local 725.

Throughout his life, Tim demonstrated remarkable resilience. He quit drinking alcohol cold turkey at age 29, something he had done since high school, and never looked back. When he was stricken with cancer in 2009, he bravely endured numerous complications and surgeries. Unable to take food by mouth, he learned to cook so he could assist his parents and devised recipes for them by remembering tastes.

Tim loved music, including blues, folk rock, jazz, soul, classical, and older country. He loved maps and often perused them to spot locations in the news or simply to learn about a region. He was a lifelong Cincinnati Reds and Green Bay Packers fan, although he was even more dedicated as the number-one fan of every team his girls played on. Later in life, he took up reading and favored historical nonfiction.

Survivors include his beloved daughters, Brie M. and her partner Jase Smith, and Shea Q.; his granddog Ginsy; his parents, Norma and Michael Joyce; his siblings and their spouses, Margaret and David Sisk, Rita and Mick Kidwell, and Patrick and Terry Joyce; and his former wife, Joanne Winter Joyce.

Tim’s Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, May 17th from 1-4 pm at Holliday Park Nature Center, 6363 Spring Mill Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46260. Holliday Park was the family favorite and he would want this day to be a time for everyone to enjoy God’s beautiful creation. Please join for a casual open-house style afternoon with music and maybe the Cincinnati Reds game playing in the background.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Tim’s love of nature, the family encourages donations to https://www.earthday.org/donate/ or take a walk with your loved one and stop to admire the spring blooms.