Joyce Pearson Stone

Joyce Pearson Stone We’re told we need to write an obituary for our mom, Joyce Pearson Stone. Give her age: 91 and her birthdate, February 8, 1931. The specifics: the daughter of Benjamin and Ruby Pearson from Memphis, Tennessee. We’re told to mention that she was a housewife and mother but that doesn’t nearly cover it. We’re told we should note that she was a Daughter of the American Revolution ( DAR); that she attended Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where she was a cheerleader and the “Grid Iron Queen”; that she then transferred to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she met a young evangelist from Houston, H. Bailey Stone, Jr. They married on June the 18th in 1953. Here we can part from any guidelines or templates and point out that she wasn’t just a wife and mother, she was a pastor’s wife. A loving, vibrant and devoted wife who faithfully followed her husband Bailey in the ministry to become the “First Lady” of First Baptist Church in McKinney, Texas, First Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas, and the First Baptist Church in Odessa, Texas. She is survived by her three sons: H. Bailey Stone, III, Timothy Clark Stone and John Kevin Stone; and by her beloved daughters-in-law, Maria Stone and Robin Stone. She adored her grandchildren, Harrison Stone, Abigail Stone, Maggie Stone and Reagan Stone and her nephews Jeff and Dennis Smith from Tennessee. Most importantly, we want to acknowledge to anyone who reads this that our feisty, spunky, firecracker of a mom .. known as Saint Joyce to so many of our friends .. is now free from the body that had become such a burden to her. All of us grieve, but grief doesn’t consume us. What we feel the most through all of this is gratitude. We’re grateful to have had a mother who loved so deeply and unconditionally; a woman who was fierce in her devotion to her three sons; fierce in her love and devotion for the Church, family and friends, and fierce in her love and devotion to Jesus Christ! Mom was fearless in sharing the good news of her Savior with anyone, anywhere and at anytime! She was her authentic self and made no apologies for it. She could light up a room with her personality and as a result, laughter often filled the air around her. We all take great comfort in knowing how free and joyous she is at this very moment and will be forever. Mom’s been waiting her whole life to see Jesus face to face and as of the morning of June 26, 2022, she’s there right now, face to face with the Savior she loved and served so faithfully all of her days. How cool is that?! We want to thank all of those who have shared their love for her through the years and in turn now share their faith because of her example. We celebrate that she is finally home with her earthly father Bennie, her mom Ruby, her sister Marjorie and our amazing dad Bailey. We celebrate her new found freedom from her earthly body and the knowledge that she’s not “resting in peace”, but that she’s active and vibrant and feisty as always in the presence of her Heavenly Father! We know through faith that she’s surrounded by loved ones celebrating her homecoming just as we are here on earth today. We also and most importantly know, through Faith, that All Is Well! What joy and what a comfort! Thank you Jesus, thank you Joyce and thank you Mom. We all love and miss you very much! “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 A Funeral Service for Joyce will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, July 7, 2022, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas, TX, 75225.