Joyce McWhorter Long

Joyce McWhorter Long was born at St. Francis Hospital in Trenton, NJ on June 5, 1939 to Kyle Hunt and Melvina Zillig McWhorter. She passed away in Fort Mill, SC on November 8, 2025 at the age of 86.
Joyce learned to walk while her parents were hosting a dinner party at their home. The table was dressed in a white linen cloth, and tomato juice was set out to be served with the appetizer. Just as the guests were seated, Joyce climbed under the table and decided to pull herself up on the table cover. Needless to say, there was quite a mess to be cleaned up.
After graduating from Brookland Cayce High School in Columbia, SC in 1957, Joyce worked as a telephone operator with The Bell Company in Pensacola, Florida until 1965. At that time, she moved to Columbia, SC and started a job with the SC State Hospital, where she worked until she married.
In 1965, she met Talmadge Elton 'Buddy' Long at her brother's home while greeting her new-born niece, Kyle. Buddy & Joyce married 2.5 months later on November 19, 1965. Joyce was confident God put her in the right place at the right time. Joyce became an instant mom to four children (Donna, Brenda, Terry and Wanda). Buddy and Joyce went on to have two additional children (Jerry and Jenny).
Each year, Buddy & Joyce tended to a garden to have home-grown food. One of Joyce's fondest memories was being taught to shell peas by 5-year-old Wanda. Each year, they also hosted a large Family BBQ at their home, with the help of family & friends. This family tradition is remembered by all that had the opportunity to come.
Throughout her life, Joyce held a strong faith in God, which she shared with those closest to her. Joyce was avid in reading her Bible and in her prayer life. While she struggled with shyness her whole life, she enjoyed writing poems and listening to hymns. She found her ministry by sharing God through her poems, mailing out hundreds of cards each month to family and friends.
Joyce treasured her family, especially her grands, great grands, and great-great grand. She delighted in making rhymes to teach each one the spelling of their name. She also treasured playing basketball and board games with them. Even in her elder years, her favorite games included Scrabble and Words with Friends. She most often 'beat the pants off' of her opponents, but she also believed in being a gracious loser and always taught her grandchildren to clap for whomever won.
And everyone knows that Joyce savored anything sweet, with her favorite dessert being Shoney's strawberry pies and Cook Out peanut butter milkshakes. Joyce also loved to travel and was thrilled to enter the All Fifty States Club when she went to Hawaii in 2018. Her favorite destination was Yellowstone National Park.
Joyce was predeceased by her parents, Kyle Hunt McWhorter and Melvina Zillig McWhorter, brother, Richard McWhorter, and husband, Buddy Long. She is survived by children Donna Hutto, Brenda Green (Berley), Terry Long, Wanda Ward, Jerry Long and Jenny Pappalardo, 11 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandson.
Joyce wants everyone to know, "God is only a prayer away when you need strength to live, love, serve or survive".
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November, 17, 2025 at Red Bank Baptist Church in Lexington, SC.
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