Mrs. Joy was born near Waxhaw, N.C., and grew up during the Depression years. As a young woman, she worked in a Charlotte ammunition shell factory during World War II, and went through nurse training in Macon, Ga. After becoming a registered nurse, she traveled to Wrangell Island, Alaska, where she met Linn E. Joy, who had served in Europe during WWII, and then in Alaskan Communications with the Army. After living in Alaska for eleven years, from Wrangell, Ketchikan Island, Anchorage, Juneau, and Point Barrow, they brought their three children to North Carolina.

Her interests included gardening, nature, reading, birds, and antiques. For several years, she was a &dquo;Pink Lady&dquo; at Union Memorial Hospital, a volunteer with a crisis counseling service, and other organizations. She was a founding member and supporter of the Nature Conservancy&squo;s Forty Acre Rock Preserve in South Carolina.

She is survived by three children, three grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held on June 14 at Belair United Methodist Church in Indian Land, S.C.