Joy L. Bays

1944 - 2020

Joy L. Bays
PRINCEVILLE - Joy Lynn Bays, 75, of Princeville, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2020, at 5:27 a.m. at Toulon Health Care and Rehabilitation. She was born on November 22, 1944, in Pekin, to parents, Everett and Maxine (Skandas) LeRoi. They both preceded her in death. She married William "Bill" Bays in Metamora on March 16, 1963. He survives.
Also surviving are four sons, Mike (Jenny) Bays of Brimfield, Mark (Dawn) Bays of Peoria, Scott (Amber) Bays of Wyoming and Rob Bays of Princeville; 15 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren; one sister, Carol Walsh of Sacramento, CA; one brother, Don (Patricia) LeRoi of Old Lyme, CT; and many nieces and nephews.
She was also preceded in death by her step-parents, a brother-in-law and two nieces.
Joy graduated from Pekin High School in 1962. She and Bill moved to the farm in 1973 and together they raised their family. She had an amazing green thumb, growing all sorts of flowers and perennials on their property and was always willing to share cuttings and bulbs with anyone. She also loved watching and photographing birds that came to visit her feeders, taking in all types of stray animals, rescuing horses, reading novels, collecting hundreds of beanie babies with her sister, Carol, and collecting rocks with her granddaughter. Joy last worked in quality control at L.R. Nelson. She enjoyed keeping up with old friends through Facebook and was kind and generous, but her greatest love in life was her family, especially babysitting all of her grandkids.
A visitation will be on Thursday, February 27, 2020, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Haskell Funeral & Cremation Services in Princeville. Her funeral will be private. Burial will take place in Princeville Township Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.
Online condolences can be left for Joy's family on her tribute wall at www.haskellfuneral.com.