Doneita June Joy

Doneita J. Joy, 79, of Littleton. Wife of Tom. Mother of Scott M. (Louanne) Joy & Carol Terranova. Grandmother of Jason Joy. Sister of Naomi Lutz. Funeral Service Monday, 11:30 am, Columbine United Church, 6375 S. Platte Canyon Rd., Littleton. Interment, Fort Logan National Cemetery. Memorial donations to charity of choice. Doneita June Joy Known as ""Dixie"" or ""Dee"" to many of her friends, Mrs. Joy was born in 1928 in the small town of Stanton, Michigan. She grew up on a farm with her beloved mother and father, Bessie and Alfred Greenhoe and her older sister Naomi. After high school she attended Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant for a year and Wayne State in Detroit for a semester. She intended to enter nurses' training but was thwarted by a severe asthmatic condition. When she recovered she went to work in doctors' offices and did not return to college until much later in life. In 1950 she married Tom Joy in Ionia, Michigan. They had two children, Scott born in 1957, and Carol in 1961. In 1958, with their belongings stuffed in the trunk of their car and the baby in the back seat, she set off with Tom and their life savings and headed west. They thought they might end up in California but stopped in Boulder, Colorado to stay with friends and see what Colorado was like. The young couple fell in love with the mountains and Doneita got a temporary job at the Boulder Medical Clinic. One thing led to another, and she spent the rest of her life in Colorado. After working for the better part of thirty years as an office nurse in doctors' offices, Doneita decided to go back to college. She graduated with a degree in Medical Administration. She then worked twelve years for the State of Colorado, in Disability Determination Services. Initially, she was the supervisor of a medical transcription group, then for several years as the assistant to the administrator. After retirement she and Tom enjoyed traveling, most frequently to San Diego and Arizona, but also to Michigan, Nova Scotia, Alaska and Costa Rica. Doneita was a wonderful mother and a sincerely caring woman. She was loved by everyone who knew her.