Joy Lou Painter

Joy Lou Painter, age 86, went to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in the early morning on July 8th, 2021, in College Station, Texas at her home with her family at her bedside. Her health began to decline after suffering Covid early in 2021. Born at home on June 16th, 1935, in Katy, Texas to George and Elsie Vaughan, Joy had  a younger brother, George Burton Vaughan, Jr., many aunts and uncles, and over 25 first cousins. Joy recalled her childhood as wonderful, spending time with a large, loving, extended family.

Joy married Air Force Lieutenant John H. Painter in June 1955, and moved to the Palm Beach Air Force Base, Florida. After the births of sons John Mark and Paul Burton, the family moved to Champaign, Illinois, where John earned B.S & M.S. degrees in 1962. The family moved back to Houston when John accepted a position as an engineer for the NASA Apollo Program. Joy enjoyed being a NASA wife and socializing with the families of Gemini and Apollo astronauts, including the men who would walk on the Moon. The family welcomed a third son William Vaughan Painter, and then a baby daughter Joy Lynn Painter. During this time Joy enjoyed her role as a stay-at-home mom with interests in sewing, cooking, being a Cub Scout Den Mother, and a Brownie Leader.

In 1974 Joy was one of the youngest women in the country to be diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at 39, resulting in a full colostomy that she would successfully live with for 50 years. Just after that, the family moved to College Station, Texas where John took a faculty position at Texas A&M university. Joy served as President of local chapter of the American Cancer Society for several years. Also, Joy earned a Real Estate license and enjoyed a successful career selling real estate and being a property manager progressing all the way to Broker level. She innovated by partnering with TAMU administration on helping prospective professors find suitable living space.

Joy Painter is survived by her spouse, John Hoyt. Sons, John Mark, with spouse, Carol, Paul Burton, with spouse, Laura. Son William Vaughan, and daughter, Joy Lynn. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father George Burton Vaughan Sr., her mother Elsie Ava Thompson Vaughan and her brother George Burton Vaughan Jr.

In lieu of flowers the family wished a donation be made to Parkway Baptist Church