Jean Hull (Peters)

Jean H. Joy Athol - Jean H. (Peters) Joy passed away Monday, August 26, 2013 at her home in Athol, MA, at the age of 89. She was predeceased by her husband, M. Verne Joy in 2006.      Her life is celebrated by her four children, Michael Kinsey Joy and his wife Gaye of Lewisville, NC; David Sullivan Joy and his wife Barbara of South Windsor, CT; Susan Jean (Joy) and her husband Bruce Winters of Athol, MA; Caroline Anne (Joy) and her husband Reverend Bob McKenney of New Boston, NH; and by her 11 grandchildren, including Sarah (Winters) and her husband Ahmed (Meddo)Abdelaziz of Needham, Christopher Winters and his wife Katelyn of Raynham,  Kyle Winters and his wife Dr. Rachel of Minneapolis, Matthew Winters of Athol; and by her great-grandsons Zidane and Zakari Abdelaziz.      Jean Hull Peters was born to Horace Ambrose Peters and Erma Fahrson Peters in Columbus, Ohio, July 17, 1924. She was raised in Los Angeles during the Depression with older brothers Richard and Horace Jr., by her mother and dear aunts Edna and Teada.      Jean graduated from Hollywood High School in 1942 and worked in personnel at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank, where she met design engineer Verne Joy. They married April 29, 1945 and lived in Los Angeles, Baltimore and Chicago before settling in Windsor, CT in 1952.      In Windsor, Mrs. Joy served as a Girl Scout leader, a Y-Teens advisor, a YWCA board member and taught Sunday School at The First Church. The Joys moved to West Hartford in 1964. In 1974, Jean obtained her real estate license and worked as broker and office manager for Budd Realtors. She later worked for Konover Associates on the development of the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport.      The Joys retired to their "MiDaSuCa Farm" in Petersham, MA, where Jean was elected to the Board of Health and served six years. She also served as co-president of the Petersham Craft Center and managed the Women’s Club Annual Antique Show and Sale for several years. She later enjoyed retirement living in Arizona and Florida before returning to New England in 2005.      Jean was a creative, talented seamstress with an eye for fashion design. Her successful cottage business, “The Little Old Bag Lady”, marketed a line of women’s bags that she designed and crafted. An adventuresome cook, she perfected unusual recipes and self-published “Childhood Revisited”, a cookbook of favorite family dishes. Jean devoured novels and crossword puzzles, and everyone looked forward to her frequent, encouraging emails.      She most enjoyed hearing the latest exploits of her kids and grandkids, and took great pride in instilling a high level of fairness, creativity and curiosity in each of them.      Higgins-O'Connor Funeral Home, 146 Main St., Athol, MA is handling arrangements for the family. For further information or to share a memory with the family, go to: www.higginsoconnorfuneralhome.com.   Services will be private.      In honor of Jean’s love of reading it is requested that in lieu of flowers memorial donations be sent to The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity http://www.dyslexia.yale.edu/donate.html or to The Friends of the Athol Public Library  http://www.athollibrary.org/  568 Main St. Athol, MA $(document).ready(function(){ });