Joyner, Johnny B.

JOHN B. “JOHNNY” JOYNER”, age 67, a resident of Wakefield was stricken suddenly Sunday at his home and died Monday evening in Obici Hospital, Suffolk. He is survived by his beloved wife of 44 years, Mary Ann Stephenson Joyner; two daughters, Lenora J. Adams and husband, Bruce, of Waverly, and Tammy Joyner Lanier and husband, Richard, of Wakefield; two grandchildren, Jake and Brandee; four sisters, Marjorie Lilly of Alabama, Mary Alice Freeman of Windsor, Peggy Britt of Elberon, and Jean Goodrich of Wakefield; a brother, Bobby Crumpler of Ivor; his step-mother-in-law Grace O’Berry Stephenson of Central Hill; several nieces and nephews and a host of good friends. He was predeceased by a sister, Christine Clark, and a brother, B. E. Joyner. Born on October 12, 1940 in Southampton County, he was the son of the late Ben Edward Joyner and Esther (Peachie) Britt Joyner Crumpler Crocker. As a young boy, Johnny attended Ivor Elementary School and in 1959 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps serving four years active duty and two as a reserve. He married his sweetheart, Mary Ann, in 1963 and the couple settled in Isle of Wight where he began work as a mechanic with Cogsdale Implement Company of Wakefield in 1965. In 1978 he began employment with Carr’s Truck Line of Zuni and later worked at Spurlock Adhesives of Waverly. In 2001 Johnny joined the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation, Waverly District, as a Truck Operator. Johnny was president and chief engineer of Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department where he had served for 15 years. He was past Vice-President and a member of the Board of Directors of Wakefield Sportsman’s club.
Johnny was a popular and highly respected member of Wakefield and surrounding communities. He never met a stranger and his happy and playful personality endeared him to everyone he met. He loved to fish all his life and as a young man was an avid hunter. The loves his life were his wife Mary Ann, his two girls, Lenora and Tammy, his grandchildren, and his two sons-in-law.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday March 6, 2008 at 2:00 PM in the Purviance Chapel of J. T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home, Wakefield. The Rev. Jack Dobson and the Rev. Mike Dillon will officiate. Burial with Fireman Honors and United States Marine Corps Honors will be held in Wakefield Cemetery. The family will receive friends at their residence on Vance Street in Wakefield and everyone is invited to a reception at the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department following the interment. Memorial donations may be made to the Wakefield Volunteer Fire Department, 155 Fleetwood Ave., Wakefield VA 23888. Condolences may be posted at www.jtmorriss.com.