Patricia Joy Terry, 92, peacefully passed from this life to her heavenly home on Tuesday morning, August 2, 2022, at her St. Joseph residence.
She was born in Rock Port, Missouri, on November 2, 1929, the daughter of Irvin J. and Minnie M. (Linville) Walker.
On October 15, 1949, Joy married Leroy C. Terry, and together they raised two daughters, Deborah Kay and Cheryl Lynn. Both daughters and their husbands, Raymond Heitman and R. Edward Murphy, reside in St. Joseph. Joy was preceded in death by her husband, who died on June 9, 1999, just four months prior to their 50th wedding anniversary.
At an early age, Joy moved with her family to St. Joseph where she grew up in a house with twelve brothers and sisters. As a young woman, she worked at NOMA Lights and Chase Candy Company before pursuing a career as a beautician. She later owned and operated the Charm Girl Beauty Shop at 33rd and Duncan for more than thirty years. Joy’s success as a businesswoman was built upon her dedication to many loyal customers and her tireless work ethic.
The center of Joy’s entire life was her family. She loved to spend time with her daughters and their families, and regularly used her tremendous cooking and baking talents to draw the family together. She also loved the frequent reunions with her sisters and brothers and their families. Joy enjoyed various handcrafts, and she was a passionate fan of the Chiefs and Royals.
Joy was preceded in death by her sisters, Bessie Miller, Nevilla Shadduck, Hazel Bunch, Clara Morris, Margaret Estes, Helen Whitmore, Opal Sloan, Betty Russell, and Charlotte Yocam, and by two brothers, Olin Walker and Harold Walker. One brother, Roy Walker (Irene) of St. Joseph, survives, as does one brother-in-law, Harry Russell, and her sister-in-law, Lucille Dickinson.
From the birth of her first grandchild in 1975, Joy took great delight in the role of grandmother. She is survived by six grandchildren, Jeff Heitman (Heidi), Matt Heitman, Bryan Heitman (Erica), Sarah Murphy Arnold (Kyle), Kyle Murphy (Hanna), and Melissa Murphy. She is also survived by eleven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Joy was a long-time member of Wyatt Park Baptist Church and was active in her Sunday School class until her health declined in recent months. Before the death of her husband, she had been a member of the Radiant Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.
The family would like to express its deepest gratitude to the staff of Vintage Gardens where Joy had lived for the past three years and to Mosaic Hospice. Their kindness and loving care for Joy were sincerely appreciated.
Farewell Services and Public Livestream 10:00 A.M. Friday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory.
