Joyce Ann Phillips Harris

Joyce Ann Phillips Harris, 66, of Roanoke, Va., died on Monday, July 19, 2010, at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital after a long battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis and related illnesses. She was born on June 6, 1944, in Eolia, Letcher County, Ky., and was the daughter of the late Benjamin Franklin Phillips and Floy Mullins Phillips. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Charles Allen Phillips and Jesse Harold Phillips; and three sisters, Audrey Roberts, Pearl Showalter, and Mildred Sentzel. Joyce had a zest for life and a wonderful smile and laugh. She loved her large family, consisting of many siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She enjoyed traveling, especially going home to her mountain birthplace in Eolia, Ky. She spent many years with her friends at Wachovia Bank and missed them tremendously when her disease prevented her from working. Mrs. Harris is survived by her husband of 47 years, Burley Milroy Harris III; her son, Burley Milroy Harris IV and his wife, Rhonda Harris; granddaughter, Olivia Harris, all of Gallatin, Tenn.; daughter, Lisa HarrisDiGeronimo and her husband, Thomas DiGeronimo, of New York, N.Y.; four brothers and sisters-in-law, Verlon and Jean Phillips, of Myrtle Creek, Ore., Benjamin and Judy Phillips, of Davenport, Iowa, Kenneth and Shirley Phillips, of Thomasville, N.C.; and Thomas Hoyt and Linda Phillips, of Blacksburg, Va.; three sisters and brothers-inlaw, Doris and Kernal King, of Davenport, Iowa, Elsie Proffitt, of Whitsett, N.C., Ella and Thomas Cromer, of Christiansburg, Va., and John Showalter, of Abingdon, Va.; and one aunt, Ruby Caudill, of Thornton, Ky. The family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Robert Keeley and the entire CCU nursing team on the 7th floor at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted 11 a.m. on Thursday, July 22, 2010, at Simpson Funeral Home, 5160 Peters Creek Road by the Rev. George Stevenson. Interment will follow in Sherwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at Simpson Funeral Home, 540-366-0707.