Joyce Vinson Lipscomb Canady

May 12, 1928 - June 1, 2024

Clayton, North Carolina - Joyce June Vinson Lipscomb-Canady, 96, of Clayton, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at her home.

A service to celebrate her life will be held 3:00 PM Thursday, June 6, 2024 at the First Baptist Church in Clayton where she was a lifelong member. Reverend Dr. Mark White will be officiating. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service. A private family burial will be held on a later day at Pinecrest Memorial Park.

She was born in Clayton on May 12, 1928 to the late Herman Vinson and Lessie Jones Vinson. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Thomas S. Lipscomb, the father of her children, and second husband, Lawrence Canady. She was also preceded in death by her twin sister, Doris Vinson Mitchiner Parker, and brothers, John Arch Vinson and James Thomas Vinson, as well as son-in-law, Richard Baumgartner, and step-son, Kenneth Canady.

Joyce graduated from Meredith College in 1949 and received her Bachelor's Degrees in Education and Sociology. She taught school with the Johnston County School System until 1963 when she founded Lipscomb's Kindergarten as a morning preschool program. It was later changed to Lipscomb's Learning Center and is still in operation today. She had a unique gift for teaching and encouraging children. Active and passionate about her community and the town of Clayton, she was the Clayton Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2014 and received the Small Business of the Year Award in 1999. Throughout her life she volunteered in many different capacities including delivering Meals on Wheels, serving as a special ambassador for Unicef by organizing local area drives, visiting local senior citizen centers and rest homes with children and others to sing songs and entertain, and being a charter member of the First Baptist Church Prison Ministry Group. She was awarded a Honorary Lifetime Membership by the Clayton Woman's Club and served on the Board of Advisors for Four Oaks Bank (now United Community Bank) for 32 years. Known for her love of children and her ease in starting a conversation with strangers, she always remembered names of everyone, even students she taught more than 70 years ago.

Although her real zest for life was being with her friends and family, she also loved to travel, go out to eat and shop, and attend plays and concerts. With a positive, enthusiastic, passionate, curious and engaged personality, everyone was special to her. She taught by example to be loving, giving and supportive. Joyce was also known for sending personal greeting cards to her friends and family to express her affection.

She is survived by her six children, Pamela Baumgartner, Claudia Price (Frank), Naomi Johnson (Jerry), Thomas Lipscomb (Beth), John Lipscomb (Zan) and James Lipscomb (Valerie), all of Clayton, and two step-children, Jean Ellerbe and Steve Canady (Gwen). In addition, she was Mama Bunk to 14 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, six step-grandchildren and 13 step-great-grandchildren. She is survived by her beloved 98-year old sister, Mary Helen Woodard of Clayton and many nieces, nephews, and wonderful friends.

The family is grateful for the care she received from Deloris Adams, Penny Mitcheltree, and Transitions Hospice as well as visits from Dolores Bagley and Sheila Pleasants, whom she called her daughters too. The family would also like to thank her friends for all their love and support during her sickness. Mama Bunk will be dearly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in her memory to First Baptist Church Senior Fund, Transitions Hospice, Main Street Community Garden (T Lipscomb, 3405 Barber Mill Rd., Clayton, NC 27520-), or Thomas Lipscomb Memorial Scholarship (Provision, 201 Convention Dr., Cary, NC 27511).

McLaurin Funeral Home in Clayton is honored to be assisting the family. Online condolences may be made to the family at: www.mclaurinatpinecrest.com

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Published by The Herald Sun on Jun. 6, 2024.