Joyce Hicks Sedberry

Joyce Hicks Sedberry, 81, of Paducah, Kentucky, entered into her Heavenly home at 1:42 a.m. Saturday, December 20, 2025, with her family around her.
 
Joyce was born on November 7, 1944, in Paducah to the late Gus Hicks and Ella Mae Hicks. She was named a Duchess of Paducah, a Kentucky Colonel, a Tennessee Colonel, and had received many other achievements and awards. Joyce was a traveling Rehabilitation Licensed Practical Nurse for over 40 years. She nursed many famous Hollywood stars back to health, and by doing so, she got to see many parts of this world. Joyce cared for Lily Mae Tomlin, the mother of actress Lily Tomlin, and many gospel music artists, including the Queen of Gospel, Dottie Rambo. Many of her other patients she cared for were treated no differently than if they were stars as well. She was loved by each patient as if she were a member of their own family. While living in Palm Springs, California, for 10 years with her son, Tennessee Michael, she was the caregiver for Betty Hutton. Joyce was the caregiver for Larry Ferguson after the bus accident in which Dottie Rambo was killed, and helped work on projects with Larry and Dolly at Dollywood, honoring the life of Dottie Rambo.
 
Raised very poorly, did not stop her from achieving all the accomplishments throughout her lifetime. Struggling very hard through her lifetime, she raised three sons and helped provide for her entire family and in-laws. Each of them could not have made it without her generosity and loving care.
 
Joyce is survived by her sons, Donnie (Belinda) Langston of Paducah, Kentucky, Tennessee Michael ( Richard Tomlin) Langston of Nashville, Tennessee and Jeffrey (Carrie) Sedberry of Paducah, Kentucky and Bobby Reed of Paducah, Kentucky;  grandchildren, Tamera (Michelle) Miles, Dustin Langston and Cody (Danielle) Sedberry, Helen (Austin) McMahan and Zachary Fry; great-grandchildren, Haley Miles, Makala Miles, Kaleb Miles, Maddox Sedberry, Memphis Sedberry, Presley Moore, Lilly Fry and Alice Fry; brother-in-law, Richard (Jackie) Sedberry and very close friends, Frank and Kay Kern and Lauren Maddox.
 
Joyce was preceded in death by her first husband and father of her first and second sons, Jimmy Langston; Her second husband of 45 years and father of her third son, Jeffrey, Ray Sedberry; half-sister, Deborah Kay Langston; grandparents, Clayton and Ollie Smith and Allie Hinkle; special aunt, Almeda Rangstaff; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, John and Shelby Jackson and family; special cousin, Joe Smith and family and Wanda Cooper and family.
 
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah. Entombment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens.
 
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Monday, December 22, 2025, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
 
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
 
Share a memory or leave a message for the family at www.milnerandorr.com.