Violet Joy Hewett

1927 - 2019

Violet Joy Hewett
May, 13, 1927 - August 23, 2019
Resident of Mountain View
Violet "Joy "Hewett, age 92 was born May 13, 1927 in the Bay of Islands area in Whangarei (pronounced Wan-ga-ray) New Zealand to James Westwood Cole and Violet Florence (Abbott) Cole. Joy's mother and father were both born in London, England. Joy had one brother, Peter Cole, who died during a violent storm while fishing off the coast of New Zealand in 1960. Joy was raised in Auckland, New Zealand, where she graduated from nursing school. She married Everett Hewett in Auckland, New Zealand in 1948 and shortly after the marriage they moved to San Francisco, California. Everett died in 1978. Joy worked as a Registered Nurse at hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand, San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA. Joy worked for many years at Stanford Medical Hospital in Palo Alto, CA retiring in 1995.
Everett and Joy had four children; Gary Hewett (Cecilia) of Hayward, CA, Brian Hewitt (Vickie) of Yankee Hill, CA and Ann Gross (Tim) of Chico, CA. Her daughter, Shen-y, preceded her in death at the age of 1 year. Joy has five grandchildren; Charlie Hewett, Cassandra Hewett, Sam Hewett, Alyssa Gross and Megan Gross. Grandchild Peter Hewett preceded Joy in death. Joy also has 2 great-grandchildren. Joy is also survived by her loving companion of nine years, W. Perry Bryant of Santa Cruz, who showed Joy the time of her life through undeniable love and unforgettable excursions.
Joy loved to travel, especially cruises. She was also an avid square dancer, sometimes dancing several times a week with clubs as well as dancing at festivals. She was a skilled advanced level A-2 dancer. She belonged to several dance clubs including the Sunnyvale Singles, Generic Squares, Top Eights and the San Jose Outlaws, dancing for over 40 years, including her 90th birthday party in 2017. Joy loved her garden. Her yard was filled with vegetables including beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chard. She also carried lovingly for her Roses, Azaleas, Orchids and Peonies. Joy was always optimistic and loved a good time. She loved people and all who knew her loved her. She will be greatly missed.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for Saturday, October 12, 2019, 11:00am at Cambrian Park United Methodist Church, 1919 Gunston Way, San Jose, California. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation in Joy's name to Stanford Research Hospital (650.775.2504) medicalgiving(a)stanford.edu or your favorite charity.


View the online memorial for Violet Joy Hewett