Joy Garber

1930 - 2023

Joy Garber

November 21, 1930 - May 20, 2023

Joy Nolen Garber passed away on May 20, 2023, at the age of 92, in her apartment in Heritage Village, Gainesville Virginia. Joy was born in Martinsville Virginia to Elcanie and Dewey Nolen on November 21, 1930. She was the oldest of four children, and was predeceased by one sister, Priscilla Egan Nolen. Her surviving siblings are Wilfred Nolen (Joyce), and Dawn Nolen-Collins (Steve, deceased).

Joy grew up in Bassett Virginia where she attended Bassett High School and played and taught piano to other students in the area. She attended Bridgewater College in 1949 on a piano and organ scholarship. Joy married Harry Garber in 1951, and gave birth to the first of two children, Brenda Garber Taylor (Bob), in 1952. A son, Thomas Garber (Pat), was born in 1955. The Garbers lived in Manassas Virginia where Joy served as a first-grade teacher at Yorkshire Elementary School for many happy years.

In 1972, Joy began a new career as the first female agent for the Horace Mann Insurance Company. Joy served at Horace Mann for forty years, where she won numerous awards and qualified for the President's Leadership Conference 18 times. Because of her legendary status, she was known within the organization as "Mrs. Horace Mann." During this time, Joy moved from Manassas to Fairfax Virginia, where she enjoyed traveling, sailing, ballroom dancing, and playing the piano.

Joy retired from Horace Mann in 2012, and moved to Regency at Dominion Valley, which is an established retirement community in Haymarket. Joy was very active with the many events, trips, concerts, and activities at Regency. In 2018, Joy developed colon cancer, and while recuperating she fell and fractured her hip. This necessitated a second major surgery within six weeks, and the impact on her 87-year-old body was quite the challenge.

After a short rehabilitation, Joy moved to the Heritage Village Assisted Living facility in Gainesville, where she was known as "Joy to the World" by the residents and staff because of her effervescent personality. As she had always done everywhere she lived, Joy brought joy into every situation, gathering, or event, and was widely known as a positive spark of energy for everyone.

Joy's ashes were interred at Monticello Memorial Garden in Charlottesville Virginia at a small family gathering on May 25, 2023. Her family gathered for a Celebration of Life on Saturday, November 11 in Haymarket. She is survived by her brother and sister, her two children and their spouses, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.