Tina-Joy Wagner Kinard

Tina-Joy Kinard, 80, of Raleigh, NC, went to her heavenly home with Jesus on July 30, 2024. She was born at McCoy Airforce Base, Orlando, FL, on July 25,1944, to Evon Low Wagner & Melvin H. Wagner. A pilot in WWII, Melvin never lived to embrace his baby daughter. Evon later married Gray Dunnagan, who adopted young Tina-Joy, and together her parents had 3 more children. The family moved to Leesburg, FL, in 1955, enjoying the advantages of small-town America.

Having a passion for learning, she seized the opportunity to attend an early admissions program at Stetson University and decided to skip her senior year at Leesburg High School. After a couple of years in pre-med, she changed her major to Commercial Art and transferred to the University of Florida for her degree. She held various positions over the years, including interior decorator, church secretary and graphic designer. In the early 1980’s, Tina-Joy was moved by the Holy Spirit to join a short-term mission trip to Eastern Europe.It wasn’t long after she returned home that she knew she was being called to the mission field full time.Over the years she smuggled Bibles and other materials to Eastern Block countries and made long-lasting friendships.She continued foreign missions after the Wall came down for many wonderful years.She was a member of The Fellowship of Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church and had a passion for the arts, reading, and above all her Lord Jesus Christ.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Danny Dunnagan.

She is survived by her sisters, Sally (Seward) Shaddock and Jennie-Lou Dunnagan, her nieces April (Colin) Smith, Danielle (Paxton) Bell, nephew Guy (Mary) Williams, eight great nieces and one great nephew.

Tina-Joy will be buried in Leesburg, Florida with her parents in the family plot at Lone Oak Cemetery — date yet to be determined.

A celebration of her life will be held later at the Fellowship of Christ Church in Cary, North Carolina — date yet to be determined.

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