Charles Austin Joy

JOY, Mr. Charles Austin Jr., age 47, of Beaverdam, departed this world on Friday, June 15, 2018. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Cecil and Billie Allen and Nathan and Jessie Joy. Austin was a cherished member of Fork Church. He attended St. Christopher's and was a graduate of Norfolk Academy and the College of William and Mary. A compassionate listener with an irreverent sense of humor, Austin always put others first and formed lasting connections with people of all ages. He was an avid reader, with an encyclopedic knowledge. He was a gifted painter, with a passion for bright colors. He was an accomplished cook, who learned his culinary skills at the Smokey Pig. He was an aficionado of ice, whether it was in a Big Gulp or a bourbon, or next to an ice-cold beer (he accumulated more than 4,000 points at the 7-11). Maine was his special place. It represented family and being connected to the people he loved. Austin loved his family and friends with his whole heart. He is survived by his wife, Mary Alison Joy; and his children, Charles Austin Joy III, Ryland Ellis Joy and Mary Bohannon Joy; father, Charles Austin Joy; mother, Marilyn Faye Joy; father-in-law, John Bernard Gaidies; mother-in-law, Frances Jacob Gaidies; countless beloved relatives and a core group of friends to whom he was deeply devoted. He bids those he leaves behind an Irish Goodnight. A memorial service will be at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 28, 2018. For more information, please contact Nelsen Funeral Home at (804)798-8369. For those wishing to make a gift in Austin's memory, contributions to Austin's children's college funds can be mailed to CollegeAmerica, c/o John Bernard Gaidies, 6208 Powhatan Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23508.