Joyce Leann Jensen

Joyce LeAnn Jensen passed away at the age of 63 on March 31, 2021 at Christus St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, after complications from surgery.

Joyce lived a full, though much too short, life filled with friends and fun. Wherever she went, she talked to people, instantly putting them at ease and often ending up with a new friend. She frequently introduced people who were new in town to other friends, making them feel at home and functioning as the hub of many lively circles. Joyce’s dinner parties were legendary: thoughtful menus of impressive dishes cooked from scratch; beautiful table settings laid out in her dining room or on the deck with views of the Sangre de Cristos; and interesting conversation, fueled by freely-poured wine and cocktails, stretching into the night.

When she was not spreading her magical social butterfly dust on the world, Joyce was highly engaged in her work as the license administrator and office manager for Flow Science, Inc., a Santa Fe-based software company. She loved to read, and polished off book after book of both history and fiction. She was an accomplished knitter, with the warmest, coziest blankets dispatched to friends and family around the country. And she loved to bake, sharing her delicious treats with colleagues and friends in Santa Fe and beyond. Joyce was a cat person, never without one in the house. She especially loved Willie, a tuxedo cat who could frequently be found curled up next to her as she knitted or lay in bed reading, and who is missing her caresses now.

Joyce had one daughter, Mallory, with her husband Tom. As her only child, Mallory and Joyce were extra close. Joyce taught Mallory how to bake from an early age, and shared her love of reading with her, as well as just being the kind of mother Mallory could tell everything to, who was always there for her with unconditional love and thoughtful advice. Though Mallory had lived away from home for years, she and Joyce were in constant contact, exchanging everything from recipe ideas to political rants to book and TV show recommendations. More recently, Mallory would flood her with photos of her daughters, Amalthea and Galatea, who loved and knew their “JJ” despite the distance between Santa Fe and San Francisco. Joyce had begun to pass along her baking skills to Amalthea and enjoyed sending her granddaughters cute clothes, sweets, and other gifts in frequent care packages.

The most important thing in Joyce’s life, though, was her husband and great love of 48 years, Tom. They started dating as high school sweethearts in Mapleton, Iowa, and Joyce always said that even so many years later, her heart would flutter when she saw him, just as it did when he first asked her out to prom, leaning on the order counter at the local Dairy Sweet where she was earning spending money. With Tom, Joyce had the adventures of a lifetime, first moving to El Paso after he graduated from law school, then later to Santa Fe and becoming co-owner of Flow Science with him, an endeavor that led to many pleasurable international trips. She particularly adored their visits to Lake Como in Italy, where they made dear friends and had sprawling meals with amazing food, conversation, and wine. It was her happy place. Though Joyce was an avid traveler, she equally loved just relaxing at home with Tom, playing Cribbage or watching a show or movie together; or going out with him on a warm night in Santa Fe, people-watching from the deck of the Coyote Cantina, the patio of the Cowgirl, or any number of other favorites haunts.

In the words of one of her favorite movies, “Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for awhile.”

In addition to Tom, Mallory, her husband, Brian Crist, and their daughters, Amalthea, and Galatea, Joyce is survived by her father, Herbert Hahn Jr., her older brother, Gary Hahn and his wife, Jill, her older sister, Glenda Hahn, and her younger brother, Jon Hahn.

Memorial contributions may be made to Espanola Humane Society (https://www.espanolahumane.org/donate/). Memorial arrangements to be determined.