Joy Ann Sloan

Joy Ann Spears Sloan, 77, passed away July, 20, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee. Joy is survived in life by her loving husband of 42 years Raymond, her daughter Lauree (husband Kenny) Sayne and their daughter Zandalee, her son William (wife Joy) Martin and their children Eric, Justin (wife Callie), Mariya, and Lexi, and their 7 grandchildren, her daughter Jennifer Nickerson and her children Michael (wife Karen) Martin, Jaclyn Danielle, Kati (husband Marty) Evans, Xavier and Annalyce and her six grandchildren, and her daughter Elizabeth Suter.

 If you are counting that is four children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Each have known the unconditional, unwavering, love that she freely gave. One of her life goals was to be a good mom. She surpassed this goal and was a GREAT mom, and an amazing Grammy.

Joy is also survived by her sisters Judith Vaughn and Barbara Chegar and her favorite nephew Kevin (wife Beth) Vaughn. 

She was preceded in death by her mother Jean Virginia Richards Muehlmann, her father William Henry Spears and her other mom Francis Jeanne Billmeyer Spears. 

Joy was also preceded in death by her adored niece Cynthia Jean Vaughn-Robinson (Cyndi), with whom she was very close. They talked and prayed together almost daily. While Cyndi would say Joy saved her, Joy said that Cyndi saved her right back. Our family takes much comfort in knowing that Cyndi who passed just four days prior to Joy was there to greet her with open arms and that they are worshipping Jesus together.

Joy was born in Detroit Michigan on February 20, 1947. She grew up in Michigan and had moved to Tennessee by 1970. Joy and Raymond were married July 1, 1982. She lived in Greenbrier, Tennessee for 46 years which is where she and Raymond raised their children. 

Joy had a teachable spirit and loved learning. She would dive deep into any subject that interested her reading and researching it. When you buy a new device, you might toss aside the instruction manual, she read it. She was also an excellent teacher and enjoyed sharing her knowledge and wisdom with anyone who asked. Her amazing wisdom from both life experience and her desire to learn is already sorely missed.

She made everything beautiful. As a young, stay-at-home mom of four she would sew clothing for her family and would use her talents to sew for others and make additional income. She first learned her sewing skills from her beloved grandma Spears and her mom. Later she passed down that skill to her daughters Jennifer and Lauree and shared it with her daughter-in-love Joy. 

After raising her children, she learned how to make more beautiful things in the art of crafting and created handmade gifts and handcrafted cards for her family, friends, and anyone else who needed a smile. She taught her granddaughter Zandalee how to crochet. Joy's most recent crafting passion was one she shared with her granddaughters Jaclyn and Annalyce, cross-stitching. Her home is filled with her handiwork. Whether she was sewing, cross-stitching, or knitting baby blankets, she crafted every stitch to perfection. One of her mottos was "Perfect practice makes perfect."

She loved perfectly, too. Her husband, her children, their spouses, her grands and great-grands were loved unconditionally. She always encouraged each person in her life to do their best and be their best. If they failed in any way she did not judge; she just loved and encouraged them. To be known by her was to be loved by her.

After her children were all in school she started working outside the home in various administrative and customer service jobs. She excelled in anything where she could organize and work with numbers. Once she retired, she called it Craft-tired, because she was able to craft to her heart's content.

Most of all it is her devotion to her Lord and Savior that was the guiding light of her life. She loved to spend time in the word and in personal and group study. She was His salt and light; it was His unconditional love that so obviously flowed through her. While her determination to learn, her administrative and crafty talents are a beautiful legacy, her love for Jesus is her ultimate gift to us all.

In the final moments of her life on earth she raised her hands and said, "I did it!" Yes, Joy, Mom, Grammy, YOU DID IT!

Visitation will be Tuesday, July 30, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at United Church, 1256 Clear Lake Meadows Blvd, Gallatin, Tennessee 37066. The service will follow at 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers be sure to go the extra mile and do something nice for someone else in her honor and/or make a donation to any charity in her name or use one of the ones listed below:

Because of her illness please donate in memory of Joy to Vanderbilt for Pulmonary Research: https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/fundraiser/5644588

Donate in memory of Joy to St. Jude's: https://www.stjude.org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html?sc_icid=wtg-mm-memorial-giving 

Because of Joy's love for her country and those who have served for its freedom, donate in memory of Joy to Beyond the Call: https://www.wwiibeyondthecall.com/product/one-time-donations/14