Joyce Gwin Fox

Joyce (Gwin) Fox went to be with her Lord and Savior on September 6, 2024. She will long be remembered as a faithful wife, loving mother and grandmother, kind sister, and enduring friend.

Joyce was born to Emmett and Charlotte Gwin on April 28, 1942. She grew up in the close-knit community of McDonald's Chapel, Alabama, surrounded by her siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Although she didn't have the opportunity to play organized sports, Joyce was an active, energetic girl who enjoyed all sorts of athletics, including tennis, softball, and roller-skating. As a young teen, she even survived a tornado that ripped through her home!

In 1960, a year after her father passed away, Joyce graduated as valedictorian of her class at Minor High School. She had a knack for academics, and pressed on to graduate from the University of Montevallo in 1964, and further advanced to receive a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Alabama in 1967.

Joyce met her future husband, Andy Fox, on a blind date in 1966. They were married the next year at Katherwood Baptist Church in McDonald's Chapel on April 21, 1967. The couple honeymooned at Callaway Gardens-and then extended their honeymoon on the Pacific island of Guam, where Andy served in the U.S. Navy. While stationed there, Andy and Joyce visited Tokyo, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, enjoyed fruit from the banana tree in their front yard, and communicated with their family back in the States via ham radio. They returned to Alabama in 1969, where their sons Michael (1972) and Kevin (1977) were born.

Joyce taught high school math for many years, and also served as a part-time math instructor at Jefferson State Community College. She enjoyed teaching, but her greatest delight was to nurture and cheer for Michael and Kevin as they grew. She was always up for attending their sports matches or watching Alabama football and basketball games together. She was a faithful, longtime member of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, and treasured deep, enduring friendships with her fellow Sunday School class members.

In later years, Joyce delighted in being "Nana" to her six grandchildren: Regan, Natalie, Nathan, Josiah, Caedmon, and Eden. She always kept a stash of fruit gummies and club crackers on hand for snacks, and was famous among her grandkids for her Rice Krispie treats, pink lemonade, and M&M cookies. She gave generously of her time with them, gladly spending countless hours playing puzzles and board games, and as the kids grew older, attending their sporting events and concerts. She and Andy enjoyed special trips with their children and grandchildren to Disney World and other locales, and traveled with the National Theatre Organ Society to London, New York, St. Louis, and San Diego. Joyce also discovered a hidden talent for playing bridge-participating in local and regional tournaments with her friends, and eventually earning the rank of Life Master. At the age of eighty, she inspired other hikers by summiting Clingman's Dome in Tennessee!

Joyce dearly loved her sisters Patsy and Brenda, and her brother Randy. She always kept in touch over the phone or in person, and made sure they took a sibling picture at every gathering. She loved a good bargain, and with the deals she found, she not only clothed and fed her own family, but also numerous foster children and low-income families in the Birmingham area. Although she was reserved and shunned the spotlight, she was justly famous among her family and friends for her loving, kind, and patient nature. Supportive, encouraging, caring, and intelligent, Joyce always greeted her loved ones with a smile.

Joyce is survived by her husband Andy; siblings Patsy (Moore), Brenda (Stewart), and Randy Gwin; son Michael and daughter-in-law Rachel, with their children Regan, Natalie, and Nathan; and son Kevin and daughter-in-law Emma, with their children Josiah, Caedmon, and Eden.

The visitation with family will be held on Friday, September 13th, from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church. The church is located at 7160 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham, AL 35242. A memorial service will follow the visitation, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, September 18th at 11:00 a.m. at the Alabama National Cemetery located at 3133 Hwy 119 Montevallo, AL 35115.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Big Oak Ranch 

6000 Shelley Drive 

Springville, AL 35146, 

(205) 467-6226, 

https://www.bigoak.org/donate