Joy A. Runyon

May 22nd (year undisclosed in respect of her “ageless” perspective) – January 15, 2021

Joy Runyon passed away peacefully early Friday morning, January 15th, 2021. Joy was born in Floyd, VA, the first born of parents, Granville Garven Alderman, and Nina (Simmons) Alderman. Following Joy were her younger siblings - brother Earl, and sister Janice.

Joy and her siblings experienced a major hurdle early in life, when their mother passed while they were still young children. This required Joy to handle many things that children usually do not have to manage – including getting her sister into deaf schooling so that her sister could enjoy a full and complete life (as her sister, due to illness, had lost her hearing).

From an early age, Joy exhibited other-worldly talents, and through her school years led a very well-rounded school experience, including at times standing-in to teach art to her peers (in the absence of an art program / teacher), helping teachers “decorate” their classrooms, dressing up the school gym for school dances, participating enthusiastically in sports like basketball and cheerleading, and landing the caption in her school yearbook: “She can dance, she can sing, she can do anything”!

Joy, from a young age, and throughout her life, embodied the style of movie stars of the day and used her talent for sewing her own clothes to look just as glamourous as any star; with the perfect hair and makeup to complete the look. If her friends or family needed help getting ready for a special occasion, it was “Joy to the rescue” often making and assembling the perfect outfit and single-handedly doing their hair and makeup. She was a one-stop-shop glam-squad delivering her characteristic transformational magic.

Joy married her first husband early in life, and during her short-lived marriage welcomed her first child, Patricia (Pati Spradlin) O’Toole. On June 8, 1961 in Blacksburg, VA, Joy married Charles (Charlie) E. Runyon, and though 18 years later they parted ways, they built a lovely family. Joy and Charlie expanded their family with daughters Nina Runyon (Doherty), and Suzanne Runyon. During those years, as a family in Northern Virginia, Joy spent most of her time as a stay at home mom, devoting her talents and energy to creating a beautiful home and life in their primary home, and in their “forever (summer) home” in Maine.

Summers were definitely a highlight for Joy and her family, and Joy was constantly working on the Maine house – staining decks and docks, painting doors / floors / furniture, scouring flea markets for treasures that would fluff up that home, and loving every minute of watching her family water-ski, sail, swim, and gather in the evenings around their beautiful stone fireplace where she loved to languish (after a non-stop day working on the house) in front of the fire.

Morning breakfasts were among her favorite meals to cook in Maine, and typically included family-favorite “tomato gravy” ladled over fluffy biscuits and butter (that to her end was a frequent requested dish from friends and family). Lobster was probably among Joy’s favorite foods, and she loved it when her friends or grandchildren “skipped” eating part of the lobster so that she could devour every edible spec of lobster meat that was left.

Over the years, and while she raised her girls, Joy volunteered as a “Bluebird” troop leader, worked at school events and fairs, and was always using her flair for art, painting, sewing and decorating to teach young people those crafts, and to make every event – from birthdays to charity events, as whimsical and beautiful as her imagination could make it.

As her daughters Pati, Nina and Suzanne grew up and moved into adult life, Joy transitioned from stay at home mom to working in her own business, Phenix Design Studios – focusing on interior design of residential and commercial spaces. Joy had a unique eye in transforming people’s homes -- not in her style / but theirs – always having a keen sense of people, and what they love, and making their living environment a “joy” to be in. She also kept very busy during the Thanksgiving / Christmas season – doing holiday decorating from ambitious décor like multi-story Christmas trees, and to covering every bannister and mantle and flat surface to create a feeling of holiday magic that was unsurpassed by anything you can imagine.

Beyond interior design, Joy had an uncanny flair for flower arranging. She often almost single-handedly delivered spectacular floral arrangements constructed and placed on every single table for receptions and in churches for many of her family, friends and clients’ wedding celebrations. Even in her later years, she exhibited herculean energy – climbing up and down ladders and hauling materials around in her always-full of client project materials - SUV. Right down to the day of her stroke on October 22nd, she continued to work as a designer, and as long as her body could move, she intended to stay in motion.

In addition to Joy’s passion for design, she also had a lifelong love of Washington DC’s Football team. During her last marriage, she and her husband Charlie went to many local Washington Football games back in the day when they played at RFK, and even to some Super Bowls – at which she relished in being a super-fan and being there on such a big game day. This pursuit led to an important friendship, which was that of connecting to a former General Manager of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and the D.C. Armory complex, Colonel Robert (Bob) H. Sigholtz.

That friendship with Bob Sigholtz led to another great, and very central love in Joy’s life, which was that of Childhelp (Childhelp.org – the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit dedicated to the prevention, intervention and treatment of child abuse and neglect). As time and serendipity would play out, Bob Sigholtz came to marry one of the founders of Childhelp: Sara O’Meara. Following that, Bob connected his group of Washington friends with Sara, and her-cofounder Yvonne Fedderson. On a memorable day when Sara and Yvonne told this Washington, DC group their story and shared the mission of Childhelp, following that moment, as Joy say often said, “I could not turn away [from this cause]”.

From that fateful day of learning about Childhelp, Joy dedicated much of her time for over 30 years + to the Childhelp mission – volunteering for the local Chapter, serving for years as a Member and as the Chapter’s Chaplain and doing anything in her super-human power. Her efforts included putting on spectacular and beautiful fund-raising events, arranging and personally delivering numerous flower arrangements for Childhelp’s annual Congressional Luncheon on Capitol Hill for the National Day of Hope, hauling furniture and decorations to Childhelp’s residential treatment facility, The Alice C. Tyler Village, in Lignum, Virginia… and countless other ways, too numerous to count. Joy was twice recognized by the Childhelp Founders with special awards for her selfless dedication to the cause, and for her hard work and generous donations delivered over the past three decades.

Throughout the years, and in addition to sharing her love and care with the children of Childhelp, Joy was able to be a central fixture for her daughters and grandchildren – with 6 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren following over time. She loved teaching them the tricks of her many talents and trades, and she enlisted them at times for summer / holiday work in her business and drew them into her volunteer efforts for Childhelp as well. Her grandchildren called her “Nana”, and she later gained a social media following from posts made by her grandchildren of videos and photos featuring their effervescent Nana.

Joy’s touches and décor adorn so many homes and photographs of events she decorated. Her imprint on this world through her beauty in design, beauty inside and out, and her incredible and strong spirit will live on in us and around us forever.

Joy was predeceased by her sister Janice Alderman (King), and Joy’s great granddaughter and namesake, Stella Joy Norcini (whom Joy will be laid to rest with - in a shared plot). Joy is survived by her brother, Earl Alderman and his wife Phyllis Alderman, daughter Pati (Spradlin) O’Toole and son-in-law James O’Toole, daughter Nina (Runyon) Doherty and son-in-law Michael (Micky) Doherty, daughter Suzanne Runyon and son-in-law David (Dave) Wechsler, grandchildren Angela Fish, Samantha Berg, Michelle Doherty, Allison Doherty, Kevin Doherty, and Jack Campbell. She is also survived by, great-granddaughter Addison McDaniel, as well as Joy’s nieces and nephews Lori (Alderman) Dearing, Chris Alderman, Avery King, and Anita (King) Sullivan, and their families.

A memorial service will be held, Friday January 22nd, 2021 at National Funeral Home in Falls Church, VA, at 2 pm. A viewing period, prior to the service will occur from 12 pm to 2 pm. Space inside the chapel is limited for health and safety reasons – and will be prioritized for family, so attendance is (also) available through live-stream on the Facebook page / Facebook live: https://www.facebook.com/National-Funeral-Home-National-Memorial-Park-115824169103753/.

Attendees are welcome at the graveside service at 3 pm / at a safe distance. A larger celebration of Joy’s life (post covid) will be scheduled at a future date (when it is safe to have a big shindig as she always wanted us to do).

In lieu of flowers, if you would like to honor Joy’s memory, please donate to Childhelp’s Alice C. Tyler Village, via this GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/joy-runyons-memorial-fundraiser-for-childhelp?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet.