Community activist.
Born at Brandon on 1 April 1933 to Catherine Marie “Kay” Dietrich (1915-1989) and Ernest William Lawrence (1911-1970), she spent her early childhood years there, then moved with her family to Winnipeg, where she attended Gordon Bell High School.
With her husband, Lawrence Joseph “Larry” McCombe (1932-1989), she had four children, and as a family they were fully involved in the Scottish culture in Winnipeg. She began by joining the Manitoba Highland Dancers Association in the early 1960s, and eventually served on its board. Her roles included volunteering at competitions and events, frequently as Master of Ceremonies. As well, she belonged to the Royal Scottish Dance Society, was Ladies President of the Lord Selkirk Boys Pipe Band, and was a member of the “Bunch of Grapes” that performed often at Folklorama's Mug Pub British Pavilion. She also owned and operated a business called Glengarry Scottish Imports for many years, through which she was able to provide costumes, uniforms, and instruments to the families participating in cultural events.
Besides having a passion for Scottish music and dance and nurturing those skills in her offspring, she enjoyed and was exceptionally knowledgeable about classical music, singing with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir and the St. Andrew’s River Heights United Church choir. She also belonged to the Beta Phi sorority, served as President of the Women’s Canadian Club of Winnipeg (1988-1989), and sat on the board of the University of Winnipeg’s Adult Education Services. It was because of a shared love of dance and music that she married her second husband, George Flemming (1932-2015).
She died at Winnipeg on 5 July 2010.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 10 July 2010.
“Joyce McCombe,” Honourary Members, Scottish Highland Dancers’ Association.
“Joyce Katherine Lawrence,” Taylor-Busch-Baines-Hardy-Jacobs Family Tree, Ancestry.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 10 November 2025
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