Aug. 7, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Joyce (Vaughn) Battle, the wife of Wake Forest associate head men's basketball coach Jeff Battle, passed away on Wednesday, August 6 after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 44.

"Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with Jeff and Jordan and their family," said Wake Forest Director of Athletics Ron Wellman. "Joyce was an exceptional person who lived her life with a tremendous amount of dignity. She showed remarkable strength throughout her ordeal. The tremendous example she set during this fight was inspirational to everyone who knew her."

A former point guard a Fayetteville E.E. Smith High School, Joyce went on to Fayetteville State where she earned All-CIAA and All-CIAA Tournament honors as a junior. A left-handed point guard, she was a member of two CIAA Southern Division championship teams and was named to the Black Conference of Sports Information Directors college division All-America team. She also played tennis for Fayetteville State.

On the court, Joyce set the Fayetteville State school record with 6.1 assists per game during the 1983-84 season. In 1984-85, she recorded 160 assists, 6.0 per game while leading the team in steals.

She was a member of the Virginia Express of the National Women's Basketball Association following graduation, before going to Delaware State as an assistant women's basketball and assistant volleyball coach. Joyce and Jeff met while they were both assistant basketball coaches at Delaware State and they married in 1992. They have a son, Jordan, 14.

After coming to Winston-Salem, she was a teacher at Downtown Middle School where she also coached basketball.

Visitation will be on Monday, August 11 from 6-8 p.m. at Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home, 3315 Silas Creek Parkway. Services are scheduled for Wait Chapel on Tuesday, August 12 at 2 p.m.