It is an understatement to say that renowned Casa Marina maître d’ Sterling Joyce has kept busy over the years.
He has only had one vacation in the past 19 years, but that is all about to change following his retirement on July 7.
“I just love to entertain,” Joyce said.
Joyce is known for his style and welcoming attitude, which has made him a known commodity among the Jacksonville Beach community.
According to Joyce, it was his hospitality and the way he treated people that made him into the respected person he is today.
“They say men are not gentlemen anymore,” Joyce said. “Hospitality is an art and not just something to take for granted.”
He went out in style with a retirement party at Seachasers Lounge in Jacksonville Beach on July 7. The event was attended by several people he interacted with over the years.
“I’ve met people from all over the world,” Joyce said. “No one will ever be able to take away the experiences I’ve had and seen.”
Joyce experienced some rough times after his mother and sisters died in a house fire in New Jersey when he was 12 years old.
He and his father moved to Jacksonville not long after experiencing their tragic loss, and his dad got a job working for the Stockton family, who he thanked for helping both him and his dad during that period.
“Old man Jimmy Stockton is like my second dad,” Joyce said. “The Stocktons were very instrumental in my raising and my life.”
The tragedy left a desire within Joyce to give back and help those he can by holding the annual Sterling’s Dance at the Pier event each summer to raise money and food for families in need with kids going back to school.
He has also been involved with initiatives to collect toys and books for children as part of the Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry.
“All my life, all I’ve ever wanted to do was give back,” Joyce said. “It stems back to when I was a kid. I praise the Lord for everything I’ve got.”
After 10 years serving in the Air Force, Joyce started working on and off at Max’s Grand Ballroom in Jacksonville Beach before eventually taking on a full-time role.
As he developed recognition for the work he was doing, it caught the eye of the Casa Marina, and he has become a mainstay at the hotel and restaurant for the past 21-plus years.
On top of his job with the Casa Marina, he has also built much of his reputation by planning weddings, which he estimated doing about 120 per year, including two or three in the same day at times.
“People are always going to be getting married any and everywhere,” Joyce said. “It (the job) doesn’t get old, but I do,” Joyce chuckled.
In retirement Joyce is planning to go on a cruise to the Mediterranean but also wants to remain involved and hopes to offer advice as a consultant to businesses looking for answers in how to better brand themselves.
“A lot of people have a good product, but they just don’t know how to get that message across,” Joyce said. “Just look at me; branding is everything.”
