Doris Jean (Leith) Joy (1920-2007)
JOY, LEITH, BROWN, GAY, HANRAHAN, RUSS
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 10/21/2007 at 08:24:28
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Sunday, October 21, 2007.
May 8, 1920-Oct. 15, 2007
Doris Jean (Leith) Joy, 87, of Kalamazoo, Mich., went to be with her Lord on Monday afternoon, Oct. 15, at Friendship Village Health Center in Kalamazoo.
Doris was born on May 8, 1920, in Richland, Ga., and was the daughter of Thomas S. and Ruth I. (Brown) Leith. As a child, she lived in Georgia, Texas and Iowa. As an adult, Doris lived in Iowa; Missouri; Schoolcraft, Mich. (1990 through 2000); back to Missouri and, finally, to Friendship Village Health Center in Kalamazoo in January after the death of her husband, Everett.
Doris graduated from Bryan Texas High School and attended Waldorf College in Forest City. She worked as a typist for the Donnelly Corp. of Nevada; a seamstress; a licensed water safety instructor teaching swimming; a tailor at a Younkers department store; a secretary for the Engineering Department at Iowa State University; a restaurant hostess; a Tupperware salesperson and, finally, the activities director for the Sunset Nursing Home in Maysville, Mo. She also counseled at Junior High Church Camp for many years, at least two with the Native American youth from Tama; taught ecumenical Bible study and taught crafts of all kinds at Vacation Bible School and Church Camp.
Doris was extremely active in many organizations: the Girl Scouts, for which she started a troop for the mentally disabled girls at Wilson School in Ames; the League of Women voters; Toastmistress; American Cancer Society of Story County; deaconesses at the Collegiate Presbyterian Church of Ames; and Eastern Star Laura Chapter No. 115, where she was a past Worthy Patron, and she was a volunteer ambulance attendant in DeKalb County, Mo. She enjoyed reading, wild flowers, Bridge and was a lover of dogs. Doris even found time to teach ceramics, enjoyed leather tooling, sewing knitting and Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.
Doris was united in marriage to Everett S. Joy Jan. 31, 1943, in Kansas City, Mo. He preceded her in death on Jan. 20, 2007.
She is survived by a son, David E. (Marta) Joy, of Chandler, Ariz.; one daughter, Sue J. (David) Gay, of Kalamazoo, Mich.; three grandchildren, Sherry (Mike) Hanrahan and Daniel Gay, both of Portland, Ore., and Bradley (Nora) Gay, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; one brother, Jack Leith, a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel, of Honolulu, Hawaii.
She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one sister, Lois Russ; and one brother, Jim Leith.
At the request of the family, the graveside services to celebrate Doris' life will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 25, at Fort Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, Mich, with the Rev. Linda J. Burton, pastor at the Hopkins and South Monterey United Methodist Church, officiating. There will be no visitation. She will be laid to rest with her husband, Everett.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Doris' honor may be made to the Friendship Village - Employee Appreciation Fund, 1400 N. Drake Road, Kalamazoo, Mich. 49006, or to a charity of one's choice. The Farley-Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home of Augusta, Mich., (269) 731-4212, is in charge of arrangements. Personal messages for the family may be left at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.
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