1996 Joyce Heitler
The tenth annual Save the Pun banquet was held on April Fool's Day 1996. The highlight of the evening is always the naming the Punster of the Year. Joyce Heitler exemplifies all of the characteristics of a very punny person, who has played Den Mother to countless paranomasiacs for the past ten years. She and ISTPF founder John Crosbie started the annual dinners in 1988 and Joyce has carried on the tradition of these looked-forward-to events ever since. She was also the originator of The Punster, a 6 times a year pun-filled newsletter.

Joyce is a long time Kindergarten teacher (that's synonymous with Saint), a clown, a comedienne and magician. In her spare time she was able to raise a husband and two children, as well as do volunteer work with the homeless. Joyce did a turn entertaining the excited diners who, ate up her acceptance routine. It was magic and pun filled. " I went to visit a psychic", punned Joyce, "I was given the address of one of the city's foremost mediums. When I got there, I thought she looked like a large." This was just a small sample of the wit and wonder of the POTY 1995.

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