Joyce Boswell Harris

Born June 22, 1921, in Elberton, Ga. to The Reverend Hal Reid Boswell and Alma Stapler Boswell, Joyce developed a deep love for God early on. She was one of the first women elders at East Point Presbyterian and a devoted member of the church’s Circle for Women. Part of Joyce’s faith included giving of her time and talent as a volunteer. She found great joy in volunteering as one of North Avenue Presbyterian’s Butterfly Ladies, a group that provides pastoral support for the North Avenue community and the community at large. She would also make sandwiches around the holidays, taking them down Howell Mill toward Georgia Tech to those in need before it turned into the booming West Midtown.

After graduating from Russell High School in East Point in 1938, Joyce attended Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville. She later married high school sweetheart Perry O’Neil Johnson Sr. (deceased 1985) with whom she had three sons, including twins. She subsequently married Joseph Boyd Hudson (deceased 1985) and later in life Jack Harvey Harris (deceased 1999).

Joyce worked in the Sears building, now Ponce City Market, in her 20s. She was also the receptionist for Atlanta’s leading internist group and later went on to work for a stockbroker if only to prove her former boss wrong because he said she couldn’t do it. With a persevering spirit through the challenges life gave her, Joyce did this all while raising three sons, largely on her own.

Known by family as Meme the Mouse, Joyce loved sporty cars. She was seen safely driving a forest green Jaguar–a late-life gift to herself–into her 90s, riding around Atlanta Motor Speedway in a NASCAR race car decked out in a helmet and black leather jacket, and may have even been spotted on a Harley Davidson a few times. She was an avid walker; gardener with a true green thumb; competitive card player, including Gin Rummy, Solitaire, and Bridge; avid Braves fan; and consummate Southern cook, known for her vegetable soup, tomato aspic, pecan pie, and cornbread dressing. Of important note, Joyce assertively ordered the perfect martini–very cold and very dry, straight up. She was also known as Atlanta’s own Queen Elizabeth II being mistaken for the Queen to the point where the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a story in the 1950s.

Joyce was preceded in death by her beloved son Reid Boswell Johnson (Le) in 2015. She is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren whom she always cheered and celebrated – sons: Neil Johnson (Barbara) and Hal Johnson (Dona); grandchildren: Jeff Johnson (Andrea), Jill Johnson, Julie Johnson Sheffield (Allen), Reid Carter Johnson, Chowning Johnson Hawkins (Kevin), Wells Johnson (Emily); and great-grandchildren: Ella Sheffield; Madelyn and Reese Aguilera; Griffin, Jack and Sheffield Johnson; and Charlotte Tosi.

Most importantly, Joyce was a gracious, kind woman who never passed judgment and showed a deep curiosity and interest in everyone she encountered, regardless of age, race, or gender. To her family this curiosity was referred to as Joyce querying anyone she met to know them better, never wanting to direct attention to herself. It was always her heart opening out to whoever crossed her path.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, November 2, at 10 a.m. at North Avenue Presbyterian Church. The family will greet friends in an onsite reception following.

For her King’sBridge family, a memorial service will be held the day prior, Friday, November 1, at 2 p.m., at King’sBridge Retirement with a reception following. Joyce and her family are so grateful for the love and care provided by all the assisted living caregivers, especially Maria Ribeiro.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to North Avenue Presbyterian Church.