David Lee Joyner

1931 - 2011

David Lee Joyner passed away peacefully at Bay Health Medical Center in Dover, Del., on Friday, Mar. 11, 2011, surrounded by his loving family. He was 80 years old.
He was born on Jan. 14, 1931, in Rahway, N.J., to the late Bruce and Dorothy (Dietrich) Joyner.
David graduated from high school in Tunkhannock.
In 1963 David came to Dover to help build General Foods with Link Belt Company and in 1977 founded Emlyn Construction Company.
David was a member of Ironworkers Local Union 489 and he was an ironworker for over 50 years. In the late 1950's he worked in Venezuela on the Orinoco River basin. He worked on the Staten Island tower of the Verrazano Bridge in New York and in 1962 he helped build the 1964 World Fair in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
He traveled with the Nazarene Church Missions group in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and Guatemala, building churches and schools. Also, with the Whatcoat Arizona Church Missions group to the Sun Valley Indian Mission. He was past president of the Camden Wyoming Lions Club, recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, and received the St. Barnabus award for service through the Methodist Church.
Dave was a faithful member of Whatcoat United Methodist Church for 40 years, singing in the choir, chairing the mission committee, and was a member of the Church MICE. He sang with Community Singers and acted in many plays including "Oklahoma," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Music Man," and "Shenandoah."
He was also a member of the Delaware Choral Society singing in their winter and spring concerts.
David participated in the ice cream making contest at the Delaware State Fair with his daughter and grandchildren for 20 years, winning Grand Champion with his mother's recipe, orange lemon sherbet.
He was always supportive of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in their sporting events and extracurricular activities, traveling from one end of the state to the other, no distance was too far.
Dave was a friend to all, always compassionate, never knew a stranger, drove for the homeless, and cared for many friends. He loved to travel and did so at every opportunity with family and friends, having just returned from a Panama Canal Cruise.
David is preceded in death by siblings Bruce Joyner and Charles Joyner and daughter-in-law Nichola Joyner.
David is survived by the love of his life and best friend JoAnne Stanton Joyner of 52 years; children, Robert Joyner and his wife Tina of Dover, Del., David Joyner of Brooklyn, N.Y., Tina Barnes and her husband Thomas of Dover, Del., Eric Joyner and his wife Jen of Mechanicsburg, Heidi Russum and her husband Dennis of Felton; grandchildren Mollie Stretch and her husband Noah, Laura Bogus and her husband Josh, Emily Joyner, Katie Barnes, Christopher Russum, Josh Hebert, Sarah Joyner, Samantha Russum, Rachel Joyner, Rebecca Joyner, Russell Barnes, Jessica Joyner, Emma Joyner, Joshua Joyner, Spencer Barnes and Cody Russum; great grandchildren, Elissa, Abby and Owen Stretch, Mars Vigil, Cambria Bogus, Brianna and Addison Russum, siblings Betsy and Marshall Harlan of Wilmington, Del., Jim and Sharon Joyner of Virginia Beach, Va., Patricia and Fred Zimmerli of Telford; and sister-in-law Ruth Anne Joyner Yuba City, Calif.