Annette Joy Perkins

Annette “Joy” Perkins was born on March 26, 1950, to the late Lester and Clara Perkins in Walker's Wood, St. Ann, Jamaica, West Indies, the youngest of their eight children. She departed this life peacefully, in her sleep, the morning of May 16, 2021, at the Idlewild House Assisted Living Facility in Bowie, MD.

Joy, as she was called by family, emigrated from Jamaica in 1969 to the United States as a teenager and initially resided with her beloved older brother and sister-in-law, Lester and Barbara, in Washington, DC. After obtaining her high school diploma, Joy worked at Howard University Hospital where she had a 30-year career as a food services employee in their Dept. of Food and Nutrition. Health issues forced her into retirement in 2015.

Outside of work, Joy was a creative and capable person who loved to travel, garden, tinker, and to sew, which she taught herself to do. She also truly enjoyed using a variety of tools to work on numerous projects to decorate her home. Combined with her love of reggae music and her gym membership at the YMCA, Joy was always busy.

Joy was a supportive and devoted sister, aunt, and cousin. She maintained close ties with family in Jamaica, New York and the DC Metro Area. She loved family gatherings and was always eager to lend a hand. Her wit and disposition were undeniable; she was always herself and will be missed.

Joy is survived by her elder sister, Linda McFarlane, and a host of bereaved cousins, nieces, and nephews.