Joyce Ann Jones

Joyce Ann Jones (Archey), born May 21, 1937, in Pontiac, was always ready with a laugh or some sass. She could seem prickly, but the twinkle in her bright blue eyes was the giveaway that she was having a little fun with you. Joyce lived most of her life in Mount Pleasant. Her childhood home was where local staple The Pixie now stands. She worked outside the home in offices doing typesetting for local publications. Throughout her life, Joyce enjoyed traveling with her husband, her sister, or on her own; often driving across the country on a whim. "Well, I felt like going to Florida. So, I did that. Then, I felt like going to California...so, that's the rest of the story." She also loved animals, especially the two Toy Poodles she had over the years, Buddy and Buffy. Joyce journaled daily for the majority of her life. Some days had only a few words, but she liked to keep a record.  She also had a natural talent for photography and got wonderful pictures on her many trips. Joyce outlived most of her friends and family; including her siblings, Brenda and Verne, and she suffered the loss of her husband, Bobby Franklin Jones, in 1999 and their only child, Rhonda Lynn Jones, in 2010. She had her own medical issues too, catching cancer a few times during her life. But, true to her feisty nature, she usually sent cancer running off with a black eye. She often wondered what she was waiting around to see, but in all likelihood, she just didn't know how to quit being so strong. Her eldest grandson, Ryan, often joked that she was a tank that turned into a human out of sheer force of will. For the last few years of her life, Joyce was looked after by her grandsons, Cameron Crofoot and Ryan Evon; who joked regularly that she would likely outlive at least one of them.  A few nights before she died, Joyce had her last few sips of beer with the boys. She let out a decent burp that nearly caused both grandsons to die laughing. But their joke (not really joking) prediction proved false. She passed away in her sleep at home Sunday morning, while the boys sat talking in the living room. She waited until they both finally left her alone for a minute so she could be at peace. The hope is she woke up on a nice, sandy beach where her husband and daughter were standing, each waiting to take one of her hands and walk into the waves of eternity, while Joyce's poodles bark and bite at the surf rolling over the sand. Joyce didn't want a service ("Who's left?" she joked), but any donations in memory of a strong, sassy lady should be made to no-kill animal shelters or the ASPCA. To sign the online guest book or leave a condolence for the family please visit www.CharlesRLux.com.