July 23rd, 2014
Joyce Kotal, 1927 to 2014

Joyce Elaine Borkland Kotal, an 86-year-old San Marcos resident, died on Saturday, July 19. She was born on Oct. 2, 1927 in Taylor to Edward and Vera Borkland.

Joyce Elaine Kotal

Kotal graduated from Austin High School in 1945 and later married the late Bob Kotal.

A medical secretary by trade, Kotal founded Medical Executary Dictation Service in Austin during the early 1970s when the medical dictation and transcription service industry was in its infancy. When IBM transferred Bob Kotal in 1979, the couple moved to North Carolina where they restored a historic home, built in the antebellum style as a private girl’s school in 1865.

Kotal lived most of her life in Austin where she was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Austin. She moved to San Marcos about ten years ago.

Kotal is survived by four children: Linda Flaniken, David Kotal, Chris Jones and Peggy Jones. In addition, she leaves behind nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband and by a son and two grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by her parents and a sister.

Visitation will be held 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 23 at Thomason Funeral Home, 2001 Old Ranch Road 12 in San Marcos. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 3801 Red River Drive in Austin. Kotal will be buried next to her husband at 9 a.m. Friday, July 25 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd. in San Antonio.

Kotal’s family would like to thank Hope Hospice in New Braunfels and Encompass Home Health in San Marcos.