David Duncan Joy

David Duncan Joy, June 13, 1927 – January 31, 2022, died in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He was 94 years old. Duncan graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1950 and received a Master’s Degree in Engineering from Texas A&M in 1956. He served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and loved his time in the Army Corps of Engineers, retiring as a Colonel in 1975. Patty, his wife of 62 years, and he moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he headed the Washington office of a civil engineering firm, TY Lin International. After leaving TY Lin, they divided their time between homes in Alexandria and La Jolla, California. As the son of a career naval officer, Duncan grew up on the water and was a skilled sailor and competitive swimmer. He took his first sailing lessons on the Severn River in Annapolis. When Patty and he were residing in La Jolla, he usually went rowing in the Pacific in the morning with a fishing rod trolling off the back of his rowing shell. He then swam in the ocean in the afternoon no matter the water temperature. He continued this routine well into his late 80s and often placed first in his age group in the La Jolla Rough Water Swim. Duncan also loved rowing on the Potomac River in all weather conditions when residing in Alexandria. Duncan was a devoted gardener who grew beautiful roses. He was constantly digging up the yard to install new and better sprinkler systems. He also adored all animals and had the loving companionship of his dog, Toby, until his death. Known by his grandchildren as Papa, Duncan had a talent for making and fixing things. He constructed a three-floor doll house, modeled on the Victorian mansions in San Francisco. He built patios and sheds, paneled basements and, in later years, excavated underground tunnels in his back yard to train his terrier for obedience competitions. Duncan was proud of his family’s military tradition which dated back to the early 1800s. He always had a special interest in the role of the United States in Asia, having at the age of fourteen witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor from the roof of his family’s house in Honolulu. Duncan was predeceased by his wife, Patricia Damron Joy, and his siblings, Turner Joy and Molly Roll. He is survived by his two children, David Joy and Gina Snell; four grandchildren, Carolyn Murphy, John Snell, Turner Joy and Jocelyn Joy; and three great-grandchildren, Mimi and Walters Snell, and Michael Murphy. Memorial contributions in honor of Duncan may be made to the Resident Association Gift to Employees Fund (RAGEF) at The Fairfax, 9140 Belvoir Woods Parkway, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, 22060. Services are to be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.