Joyce Dee Newell

Joy Mitzel Fernandez Newell- Lansing, MI and Spring Hill, FL

Joy was born on August 2, 1954, in Lansing, Michigan to Isadore and Helen Mitzel. She passed away on December 2, 2025, in Spring Hill, FL. Joy graduated from Lansing Eastern High School in 1972, and shortly thereafter began a long career with General Motors. Starting at Fisher Body Lansing, then on to Detroit Hamtramck, and finally completing her career by working in Pune, India to help start up a new assembly plant. Joy was involved in many charitable organizations including the Fisher Body Girls Club, G.M. Affinity Group for Women, Junior Achievement, Si Quaeris (Greenville), St. Judes Children’s Hospital, and the American Legion. Joy and Michael traveled as often as they could and spent many wonderful vacations in the Caribbean and across the U.S. Her favorite activity was entertaining her friends and family at the cottages, either at Crystal Lake, Maston Lake or Bass Lake and in Sebring, FL. This tradition carried on with Gary Newell. She left amazing gifts of love, laughter, memories. 

Joy was predeceased by her beloved husband’s, Miguel (Michael) Fernandez on June 29, 2002, Gary Newell on June 5, 2023, her parents and her beloved sister, Jane (August 12, 2007). She is survived by her brother, Jeff Mitzel, her nephew, Tristan and two step nephews, Jordan and Aaron Love, her brother-in-law, Earl (Loretta) Kuhn, niece Holly (Joel) Lahrman and seven step-sons and their wives, Miguel and Ginger Fernandez, Jorge and Deb Fernandez, Ed and Kathy Fernandez, and Alex Fernandez and Catherine Greer, Christopher and Carolyn Newell, Sean and Andrea Newell and Bradford and Elisa Newell. She is survived by eleven grandchildren, Lindsey, Nathan, Evan, Brianna, Alayna, Taylor, McKenna, Matisse, and Lorenzo Fernandez, and Alexa and Gabriel Newell, and Jaeden Newell.  

A celebration of life will take place at the American Legion post 186, in Spring Hill, FL, on January 22, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Please consider contributions to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for any remembrance.

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