Joyce Williams Rhodes

Joyce Williams Rhodes April 14, 1932 – May 20, 2021 Joyce Williams Rhodes, 89 of Wilson passed away Thursday surrounded by her loving family. Her funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Joyner’s Funeral Home, 4100 Raleigh Road Parkway, Wilson. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday in Evergreen Memorial Park, Wilson. The Rev. Ray Barnhill and Rev. LaVon Phillips will officiate. The family will receive friends Sunday afternoon immediately following the service at Joyner’s Funeral Home, Wilson and other times at the home. Joyce was born in Wilson County to the late James Harvey Williams and Gertrude High Williams. Eventually her family moved to Nash County. She graduated from Bailey High School in 1950 where she played on the basketball team. She was a devoted Carolina basketball fan and just loved all sports in general. She was also an avid golfer and spent many weekends at Wedgewood Country Club and Willow Springs Country Club. In 1956, she married the love of her life, the late Elmer Wright Rhodes, and together they celebrated 55 wonderful years. A longtime member of Five Points Missionary Baptist Church and Forest Hills Baptist Church, she served on many committees over the years. In 1994, she retired from Carolina Telephone (Sprint) after working for 44 years. In her retirement years, Joyce enjoyed traveling with Elmer and many of their close friends, playing cards and spending time with her family. She enjoyed many summers at their place in Atlantic Beach with her family, especially her grandchildren. Joyce was a very loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and sister. To know her was to love her. She will be dearly missed by all her family and friends, but we know she is rejoicing with her Lord and Savior in her heavenly home along with her loved ones. Joyce is survived by her daughter, Robin Hall and husband, Tony of Wilson; granddaughter, Brooke Pope and husband, Jonathan of Rock Ridge; grandson, Travis Hall and wife, Sarah of Salisbury and her great-grandchildren, Jon Parker Pope, Levi Pope and Emma Hall. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Rhodes; parents; sisters, Marie Harris, Jean Arthurs, and Ann Kirby, and her brother, Jimmy Williams. The family would like to express their gratitude to her caregivers, Wilma Streeter and Linda Hill and Community Hospice for their loving care, kindness and compassion to Joyce. Flowers are welcome or memorials may be directed to Forest Hills Baptist Church, 1407 Forest Hills Road, Wilson, North Carolina 27896. Condolences directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home and Crematory at www.joyners.net.