Joyce Cordelia Stalls was born to the union Girland Stalls and Edna E. Hicks Stalls on August 11, 1956 in Hickman, Kentucky.
Mama Joyce was a jack-of-all-trades and master of everything she put her hands on; from wrecking cars, bringing babies into the world and cooking you a good ole home cooked meal.
Sister Joyce attended Southern Illinois University where she studied and graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Development. She became a teacher at Head Start in Centralia, Illinois and remained for five years. It was at Head Start that her love and nourishing of children and adults took flight. She helped any and every one and when she could not she just stood beside you for support.
Joyce later moved on to Kmart, where she spent ten years “running that place” too. She climbed the ladder from cash register in the front to running the finances in the back to becoming the supervisor of the warehouse and forklift drivers. She even taught others how to drive a forklift. Joyce was always encouraging and inspirational all the way down to saying, “let’s dress up for Halloween and make people smile.” During these years, she met and married the love of her life, Jerry Allen Harris, Sr. on February 22, 1989. They shared twenty-seven loving years together.
She got tired of the small town and wanted something bigger, so she tried her hand in Dayton, Ohio. Joyce found work as a managing supervisor of the front line at Walmart. She did that for about two years and realized that was NOT for her. So, she packed up and moved to Forest Park, Georgia. Joyce came to the big city and landed a job with Masterack, where she worked for twenty-two years before retiring in 2019.
Mama Joyce was saved and a believer in Christ. She was a devoted member of Living Faith Church in Forest Park, Georgia. She enjoyed spending time with her family, shopping, socializing with friends, cooking and traveling. However, when at home she was watching “Matlock” and “In the Heat of the Night.” She cherished every moment she spent with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, godchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Family First is what she taught.
Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Jerry Harris; parents, Girland and Edna Stalls; brothers, Melvin Stalls and Joseph Harris and beloved son, Terrill Campbell.
Wonderful memories will be cherished by her daughters, Lakendra Campbell (Linell Henderson) of Forest Park, Georgia, Moneka Campbell of Mt. Vernon, Illinois (wife of the late Terrill Campbell), Quniska Tate (Erica) of Dayton Ohio; son, Jerry Harris, Jr. (Shannon) of Columbia, Missouri; grandchildren, Tiara, Kendell, Nadjea’ and Wellington, all of Forest Park, Georgia, Taj, Kardar, Adonis and Jasmine, all of Dayton, Ohio, Rashad of Centralia, Illinois and Monea’ of St. Louis, Missouri; great-grandchildren, Roman, E’Moni, Aubri, Adonis "A3", Jace and Tristen; siblings, Larice, Geoffrey (Barb) and Calvin (Evelyn), all of Centralia, Illinois, Ugenea (Frank) of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Michelle of Dayton, Ohio, Carolyn (wife of the late Joseph Harris) of Marion, Illinois, Crystal Campbell, Stacy Flagg and Rhonda Bradley, all of Forest Park, Georgia; best friends, Glenda Watson, Beverly Wells and Sheila Maston; a host of other relatives and family friends.
Visitation for Joyce will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2022 from 12:00Noon-2:00PM at Horis A. Ward Funeral Home - Fairview Chapel, 376 Fairview Road, Stockbridge, Georgia 30281, followed by a Celebration of Life at 2:00PM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.horisawardfairviewchapel.com for the Harris family.
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