Joy Jones

Gladys Joyce "Joy" Duke Jones, 88, passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Born on December 14, 1936, Joy was deeply rooted in her faith and community throughout her life. She was preceded in death by her parents, Herschel and Irene Duke; her beloved husband and father of her children, Dwight M. "Buck" Harris Jr.; her devoted second husband, J. Raymond Jones; her sister, Helen Ruth Robinson; her brother, James Steve Duke; and her son-in-law T. Dennis Cothran.

She is lovingly remembered by her children, Michael K. (Carol) Harris, Summer L. (Johnny) Hartzog, and Mona J. Cothran; her brothers, Aubrey (Pat) Duke, David (Tricia) Duke, and Gerald (Shari) Duke; grandchildren, Jessica (Justin) Schmalenberger, Keith (Lauren) Harris, Rena (Jason) Frank, Rachel Hartzog Miller, Sam Hartzog, Bridgette (Preston) Pylant, April (Cale) Haggard and Lisa (Dennis) Freeman; eleven great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Joy was born in Woodstock, Georgia, the third of six children, into a family of faith and God-gifted talents. Her early childhood home was Charleston, South Carolina, where her father worked in the shipyards during WWII, before settling with his family in Shoal Creek Valley near Ashville, Alabama in 1946. Joy graduated from Ashville High School in 1955 then attended Howard College (now Samford University) for one year, before leaving school to marry her sweetheart, Buck, in 1956. While Buck, fresh out of honorable service with the U.S. Navy, pursued his degree in Agricultural Science on The Plains of AU (then Alabama Polytechnic), his pretty wife worked in the plant diagnostic lab, specifically identifying and classifying tomato nematodes. Perhaps that's where she developed her lifelong appreciation for perfect home grown tomatoes!

After several moves during Buck's 15-year career with the Soil Conservation Service, they settled with their three children in Autaugaville, Alabama where Buck had accepted a management position with Autauga Farming Company. Joy and her family happily lived and served in and with their closeknit farming community for five years before Buck's untimely death in 1977.

Joy remarried in 1979 to J. Raymond Jones, also a farmer and a fine man, and remained in Autaugaville until his death in 1988.

After J. Raymond's passing, Joy moved to Prattville and later to Montgomery where she retired in 2012 from a career in clerical and administrative work.

Among Joy's many gifts and pleasures were singing, playing piano, gardening, painting and writing poetry, but her greatest passion was her family - matched only by her unwavering faith in Jesus.

Twice widowed, disabled by an auto accident in 2012 and suffering a devastating stroke last June, Joy met life's trials with grace and resilience, always striving to bloom in whatever circumstances she was planted. Even in the difficult final months of her earthly journey, Joy's radiant smile and sweet spirit shamed her suffering and stood as a testament to her enduring faith and love for those around her.

The family would like to thank the caring staff of Haven Memory Care on Halcyon and the In-Home Visitors ministry of First Baptist Church Montgomery for the compassionate care and many loving kindnesses extended to Joy.

A celebration of Joy's life will be held Saturday, April 12, 2025 at Greensport Baptist Church, 9305 Shoal Creek Road, Ashville, AL 35953. Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. with services following at 4:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church Montgomery Caring Center or Greensport Baptist Church Cemetery Fund.

"Consider it pure JOY, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." - James 1:2