Joy Gorchov Tomme

Joy Gorchov Tomme PHILADELPHIA, PA - Joy Gorchov Tomme, mother of the Rector of St . Paul’s Episcopal Church in Troy, The Rev. Michael Gorchov, died in Bryn Mawr Hospital in Philadelphia, PA on March 24, of natural causes. Her children were with her when she died. Joy was born on February 4, 1931 in Paxton, Illinois to Mildred Bahr and Grant Lundberg. She graduated from Paxton High School in 1949 and attended the University of Illinois in Champaine-Urbana, Illinois and married Ron Gorchov in 1952 with whom she had two children, Michael and Jolie. She was a voice major in college and sang mezzo soprano opera in small productions, on the college campus, in New York, and in church until the early 1980’s. She lived in New York from 1952 to 1962. After her divorce from Ron in 1960, she worked at the Actors Studio, and at Show Magazine as an office manager, moving to Chicago in 1962 where she worked at King Korn Stamps. Joy married John Tomme in 1962 and divorced in 1967, and moved back to New York the same year to work for the Lindsay administration in City Planning until she moved to Philadelphia in 1971 where she lived until she died. She obtained her real estate license in Philadelphia in the 1970’s and worked on the South Street Seaport revival there. Joy also began focusing on writing beginning in the 1970’s and wrote investigative reporting pieces and editorials for the Philadelphia WelcomeMat. She also wrote in-depth interviews with entertainment people like Kenneth Branagh and Al Pacino in the 90’s for the Ritz movie theater Playbill. Joy was a member of St. Mark’s Church in Philadelphia since the early 1980’s, was a valued member of the Altar Guild and was a change ringer for many years there. In the last twenty years, she spent her time writing interviews for the St. Mark’s newsletter, writing political and religion commentary for her online blog RatBangDiary and also enjoyed photographing Philadelphia, knitting, and making tiles and pottery pieces. Joy was known for her prolific pen, abundant use of profanity, and irreverent humor. In addition to her two children, she is also survived by her beloved cat, Fiona. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 2:30 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Third and State Streets, Troy with The Rev. Steve Schlossberg, the Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Troy presiding, and Fr. Gorchov, the homilist. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. To sign the guest book, light a candle or for service directions, visit www.brycefh.com.