Joy Marie Floyd

Joy Marie Floyd, 88, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, passed away surrounded by family at Hartford Hospital on March 22, 2021. Hers was a life that was rich and active, genuinely loving and constantly creative. She is survived by her son, David, 60, her daughters Charlene, 58, and Melinda, 56, daughter-in-law Marjory Stevens, son-in-law Rev. K Karpen, grandchildren Jessie Floyd, Harold Karpen, Alexander, Rosalinda and Claire Fortier; great grandchildren Mateo, Julian, and Indigo, her sister Barbara King and brother-in-law Jim Sain. Joy was born in rural North Carolina. She went to Rock Springs High School in Denver, NC, received a Bachelor's Degree from Greensboro College, and did three years of missionary work in Brazil, teaching English, Art and Religion. She married Roger Floyd in 1956. They lived and worked in New Haven, Waterbury, Bridgeport and Hartford, CT before moving to Seabury Life Care Community in Bloomfield in 2007. Prior to being in Hartford, Joy obtained her Master's in Library Science, worked at Fairfield University, University of Bridgeport, the Bridgeport Public Library as a Reference Librarian, and directed the Monroe Public Library. Joy worked as a Reference Librarian at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, loving the walk 2 miles to and from work each day. She saw many changes take place in the library field. In the days before the Internet, and in the early days of the World Wide Web, before Google and online search engines were common tools for the public, reference librarians were a lifeline to information for inquiring minds. Joy loved serving the community in this way, and becoming expert in the myriad of data resources pertaining to Hartford, Connecticut, the country and the world. Joy had a lifelong love of art and creativity. In Waterbury, she started a Neighborhood Art Center and worked as an Art Resource Teacher. After receiving a Master's Degree in Art from Southern Connecticut State University, she broadened her own creative endeavors, particularly in the use of collage and found materials. She wrote: "I am a painter, but my medium is "stuff" rather than paint: my work surface is a table instead of an easel. Found materials inspire my collage rather than any pre-conceived idea of mine. I pay attention to the random, discarded bits of the world - anything and everything that has had a life and then been thrown away." With a masterful use of shape, color and line, using all manner of materials from antique paper and book bindings and fabric, to bits of metal, wood, shell, bottle caps and more, she made evocative collage pieces large and small, many of them custom framed by Roger. These pieces are treasured by family, friends and any fortunate to have them. In her long career as an artist, she participated in numerous group exhibitions, and had many one-person shows. Joy's family already greatly misses her, and continues to marvel at her generous spirit, her sense of gratitude, and at all she did in her life. As has been the case with so many, she and the family struggled with the challenges brought about by the health crisis of the past year. She loved her many friends at Seabury, and maintained connections with so many friends she made and kept over her life. Joy and her husband had a lifelong commitment to issues related to Peace and Justice, were actively involved in the early Civil Rights movement and the effort to stop the War in Vietnam. Their advocacy and activism encompassed work on urban poverty and racism, always guided by what they saw as Christ's admonition to be agents of peace, and to care for the poor and underserved. In honor of that commitment, for anyone wishing to make a donation in her memory, the family requests that donations be made to either the Hartford Catholic Worker(checks can be sent to HCW 26 Clark St., Hartford 06120; online donations can be made at their website (www.hartfordcatholicworker.org,) or the Art Connection Studio program (www.artconnectionstudio.org/donate/). Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com