(Mary) Joy Porter Briscoe

(Mary) Joy Porter Briscoe, 80, of New London, Missouri passed away at University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri on October 27, 2020.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, October 31, 2020 at the James O’Donnell Funeral Home in Hannibal, Missouri. The Reverend Dawn-Victoria Mitchell will officiate. Burial will be at Barkley Cemetery in New London, Missouri. A visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2020. Due to the coronavirus/COVID-19, the family requires all attendees to wear a mask. If you are unwilling to wear a mask the family asks you to NOT attend.

Joy was born July 8, 1940, in Macon, Missouri; the only child of Aaron Miller Porter and Mildred Watson Porter.

Joy was married to John W. Briscoe on June 18, 1970 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He survives.

Survivors include three sons: John W. Briscoe II (Kristen) of Columbia, Missouri, Andrew W. Briscoe of Jefferson City, Missouri and Dr. Philip P. Briscoe (Jill) of Hannibal, Missouri; three grandchildren: Jack, Grace and Allison Briscoe.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

As a child Joy lived in Hagers Grove, Missouri in Shelby County where her parents owned and operated a general store. They later moved to Clarence, Missouri where she graduated as salutatorian from Clarence High School in 1958. Professionally, Joy worked as a legal secretary for ten years in Shelbina, Missouri for the former firm of Bollow, Crist & Oswald. After starting a family, she was a dedicated homemaker and full-time mother.

Joy gave freely of her time to multiple civic organizations throughout the years. She volunteered for the American Cancer Society in the early 1970’s; volunteered as a teaching assistant at Central Elementary School in the mid 1980’s; served as the coordinator for the Tom & Becky program from 1990-1992; served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity in the early 1990’s; and served on the Board of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home Foundation from 1996-2004.

Joy was extraordinarily talented in the kitchen. There was virtually no dish or cuisine she could not prepare to perfection. She was very well read, preferring history and biographies. Joy loved to travel, having visited most of the contiguous forty-eight states, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, Amsterdam and London. She particularly enjoyed family vacations to Minnesota every August and special trips with family friends John and Marsha Croll to New England; Charleston, SC; Memphis, TN; Hot Springs, AR and Jackson, MS. Joy appreciated holidays and time spent with family and friends.

Joy strove to make every person she met comfortable in her presence. Yet, she had no qualms about standing up for what she believed in, and forcefully arguing a point. To that end, she remained a strong and proud Democrat.

Pallbearers will be: Larry Burton, Hon. Robert Clayton III, Daniel Croll, Gene Evans, David Houchins, Jay Martin, Kyle Porter and Kent Worthington.

Honorary Pallbearers will be: Marsha Croll, Dr. John Croll, Sandy Worthington, Tammy Shoemaker, Diane Rule, Kacie VanCleave, David Zerrer, Paula Zerrer, Gaylord Winders, Bobbe Winders, Julie Wutke, Hon. James Reinhard, Rodney Wells and her cousins Jo Carol Porter, Becky Hathcock and Charley Watson.

The family would like to thank the staff at Maple Lawn Nursing Home’s Alzheimer’s Care Center in Palmyra, Missouri for their attentive care of Joy over the past three plus years.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Trinity Episcopal Church in care of the James O’Donnell Funeral Home

Online condolences may be shared at www.JamesODonnellFuneralHome.com.