Elaine Joyann Downs

on the Life of Joy Downs

Joy was born in a rural area of Vermillion County, Indiana. As a small

child, she moved with her family to Warren, Michigan so her father

could work in a factory to help the World War II effort. For two years,

her family, which included four siblings and parents, lived in a tiny

8’ x 40’ trailer.

Life was difficult at best, but God was working out His plan. A Sunday

school bus went by their new home every Sunday morning. The

children pleaded with their mother to let them ride the bus. Soon

all five of the children were riding the bus to church. The four older

siblings came to know the Lord through the ministry of Van Dyke

Baptist Church of Warren, Michigan and lived active Christian lives.

(The youngest sibling would accept Christ many years later through

the testimony of his wife.)

After Joy graduated from a local high school with honors, she

attended Wayne State University in Detroit for two years and then

landed a job with AT&T. By January 1963, her father sold his two

service stations and their home. The family loaded everything into a

large truck and set sail for California. On their way, they stopped in

Phoenix, Arizona and decided instead to call the Valley their home.

Meanwhile, Joy’s job with AT&T transferred her from Detroit to San

Francisco. She immediately got involved in Calvary Baptist Church in

Daly City, California.

Joy built a successful career with AT&T as a senior manager until

she retired at the age of fifty. At that point, she was offered and

accepted a generous early-retirement package. For a short while,

she continued working at various other companies in the Bay Area.

By the late 1990s her mother was aging, and Joy moved to the Valley

to help her sister Marlene tend to their mother. She gave many

hours of loving service until her mother passed in 2001. During that

timeframe, she made assurance of her personal salvation

in Christ.

Upon her move to Phoenix, Joy embarked on a sixteen-year journey

of selfless service to Christian ministry. She often volunteered for 20

hours a week in the college library or at the information desk of the

church. Her ready smile and kind spirit brightened the lives of those

she served. On Sundays, it was not uncommon to find her helping

in the church nursery, caring for and playing with the children. She

earned her nickname of “Aunt Joy” by the many children that knew

and loved her. Truly Joy had the gift of “helps” as seen in

I Corinthians 12:28. Wherever there was a need, she was there to fill

it with enthusiasm and compassion.

More than anything, Joy dearly loved her family and sacrificed her

time and energy to meet their needs. She especially enjoyed caring

for her nieces and nephews who loved her like a second mother. Joy

freely gave of herself, which was the most precious gift of all.

To those who knew Joy, it was obvious that she was perfectly named.

With a constant smile on her face, she always saw the positive aspect

of each situation. She possessed the unique ability to connect with a

wide variety of people. She truly had no enemies and a ton of friends.

I never heard anyone say a negative word about her. I first met Joy in

June of 1957, and she remained the same warm, giving, loving person

fifty-eight years later in the hospice. We who knew her were greatly

encouraged and uplifted by her example. May God give us more

Christians like Joy Downs!

Dr. Dave Sproul, brother-in-law

In lieu of flowers, Aunt Joy would appreciate donations to:

International Baptist College and Seminary's

Legacy Garden

Email | Call: 1-800-IBC-4858