Dorothy Jean Payne Joyce
Mrs. Dorothy Jean Payne Joyce, 94, of Mount Airy, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday afternoon, July 9, 2025. Mrs. Joyce was born July 21, 1930, in Stokes County, the daughter of the late Radford and Hazel Venable Payne. Dorothy was a homemaker and attended Ararat Friends Meeting. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Ronald Joyce, Steve and Mary Joyce, and Stanley and Tammy Joyce; her grandchildren, Andrew Joyce, Jake Joyce, Katie and Joe Ferguson, Jeff and Lisa Stager, and Kenny and Teresa Stager; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Franklin Joyce; her daughter-in-law, Carol H. Joyce; her brothers and sister-in-law, Bobby and Hazeleene Payne and Jack Payne; and her nephew, Doug Payne. The funeral service will be held Sunday, July 13, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Moody Funeral Home Chapel in Mount Airy, with Pastor Dennis E. Moore officiating. Burial will follow in the Ararat Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 1:00 until 2:00 PM at the funeral home. The family wishes to express their gratitude for the love and compassion shown by the staff at Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Ararat Friends Meeting, P.O. Box 60, Ararat, NC 27007; or Mountain Valley Hospice and Palliative Care, P.O. Box 325, Dobson, NC 27017.