Joyce Roberta Miller-Alper's Obituary
Joyce Roberta “JR” died Tuesday, May 1, 2018 in Houston, Texas. She was the first born to parents Miriam and Samuel Miller in New York and along with her parents and sibling moved to South Florida as a child. JR graduated from Carol City Senior High in the first graduating class.
JR earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Masters in Social Studies Education, and an Education Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction in Social Studies from the University of Florida and continued graduate work at various universities over the years. Phi Delta Kappa at UF chose her the Outstanding Graduate in 1989. She was past president of the Houston Gator Club, a graduate of Sugar Land 101 for community leaders, former president of the NSTOY-TX and held office in of SBEA/TSTA/NEA for thirty years. She served on the Social Security Cadre of the National Education Association where she did extensive lobbying on the issue. She had been featured in books including Forrest Parkway’s Becoming a Teacher and had been published and quoted in magazines, newspapers, and on television and assisted in the production of two videos for the League of Women Voters. In 2004 she was the recipient of a grant from the NEA Foundation for Improvement of Education. JR had been listed in the publication “Who’s who for American Teachers” five times. . JR loved her movie club group and her bunco group. There were 3 words that were not in JR’s vocabulary: change, relax and normal.
JR got her nickname after she moved to Texas and “Dallas” became popular on television. JR was a teacher for forty-five years, thirty-five of which were in SBISD. She started her career with nine years at Buchholz High, Gainesville, Florida. Then she moved to Texas and spent twenty-two years at Memorial High teaching Advance Placement Government among other social studies courses and fourteen years at Academy of Choice, an alternative center for at-risk-students. While at AOC, JR was one of the founders of the Virtual High School where she wrote and taught the online course for Government. She also taught thirteen years at the Rice University Summer Program. For seven years JR was an adjunct instructor at Wharton County Junior College in Government and the last three years was an adjunct professor at Houston Community College teaching Government 2305 and 2306. She was the 1989 Texas Teacher of the year and nominee for National Teacher of the year. Among her numerous honors included: a Fulbright Hayes Federal Grant to India in 1977, a Fulbright Hayes Grant to Zimbabwe and Egypt in 1995, the Elizabeth Brand Excellence Award from the American Association of Petroleum Landmen, the Outstanding Social Studies Teacher Award from the Texas Council of Social Studies in 1993, the Ermalee Boice Instructional Excellence Award from the Texas State Teachers’ Association and the Leon Jaworski Award for Teaching Excellence in Law Focused Education from the State Bar of Texas Young Lawyers Association in 2001 and three National Endowment for the Humanities Sumer Grants-to-Mount Vernon, Montpelier and Eatonville. She was also chosen to attend the Street Law Seminar, the Federal Judicial Center, the Dirksen Center, Law Related Education Academy, and Teaching American History Grant. JR traveled to 131 countries (TCC Count). Two were Vietnam and Cambodia on scholarships by the World Affairs Council of Houston. JR was a grader of AP US Government and Politics examinations for seven years and was a consultant and presenter at AP summer institutes to train new teachers to AP in US Government as well as one and two day conferences. She also presented at various conferences throughout the nation including National Council of Social Studies and Texas Computer Educators Association. Appointed by Governor Ann Richards, she served on the Professional Practices Commission for the Education Profession. JR held social studies teacher certification in Texas and Florida.
JR’s interest in politics began with attending union meeting with her dad as a young teenager in Miami. She interned for Congressman Don Fuqua (D: FL) in the summer of 1978. Afterward she became a precinct judge in Florida. In Texas she served in various political capacities, and worked in numerous campaigns. She attended numerous state and one national political party convention. She gave the “political bug” to her husband, Stephen, but her goal in life was to spread that epidemic to the youth.
JR is preceeded in death by her parents Miriam and Samuel Miler and her husband Stephen Kupple Alper. JR leaves behind her sister Gail Penny Verstraten and her brother- in -law Kevin Verstraten, her step-daughter Elizabeth Alper Dutterer and her husband Jason, her nephews Benjamin Burke and his wife Virginia, Timothy Verstraten and Christopher Verstraten, her niece Catherine Verstraten Catlett and her husband Chad. She also leaves behind her Aunt Marcy Steinberg, her Uncle Les Frank and wife Ellen, numerous cousins, grandnieces and grandnephews, extended family, many close friends in various parts of the world especially in France and former colleagues.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at Beth David Memorial Gardens in Hollywood Florida.
Submitted by
Gail P. Verstraten
99 Island Estates Parkway
Palm Coast Florida 32137
Cell: 9548731382
Rachell Cantu
Houston Jewish Funerals
7136660257
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