Joy Bostick

Joy Ann (Winton) Bostick, devoted wife, mother and precious grandmother went to be with her Lord and Savior this past Wednesday, July 22, 2020.  She passed peacefully at the family home with her loved ones encircling her with love and singing quiet worship songs. She was 83. Joy was born to her parents Hazel King Winton and Roy Lee Winton on January 17, 1937 out at the family farmhouse in the small community of Paducah, Texas. She grew up on the farm with her two older brothers, Corky and Billy, and enjoyed cultivating strong family ties and deep friendships that have enriched the Bostick family even to this day.  Joy was very active in the First Baptist Church of Paducah where she came to know the Lord at a young age and was saved and baptized.  She participated in church choir, took piano lessons and played for various functions. She first began teaching Sunday School to young children at the age of 17.  She was a great student, loved school, and had many leadership roles while attending Paducah High School, the home of the Dragons. Joy was on the varsity cheerleading squad during high school and served as the Sophomore co - editor as well as coordinator for advertising on the staff for the High School Yearbook the Zephyr.

Joy first met the love of her life, Jerry Bostick, on a “blind date” at the age of 13 at a circus!  Jerry’s best friend Delbert Smith arranged for Jerry to meet Joy Ann and another girl when the Ringling Brothers brought their circus to their small West-Texas town. However, it took four more years before Joy agreed to “go steady” with Jerry their Senior year in high school.  Joy went on to accept a scholarship to Texas Wesleyan College in Ft. Worth then completed her second year of college at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.  She was determined to finish four years, but Jerry persuaded her to set a wedding date the summer of 1957. The couple then moved to Roswell, New Mexico where Jerry was starting a career as a Brick Mason.  Joy fell in love with the mild climate of Roswell, the cool evenings, and the breath-taking sunsets. They married at the First Baptist Church of Paducah on September 1, 1957, came to New Mexico, and helped “build Roswell.”

While Jerry launched out to start his own construction company, Bostick’s Masonry Construction, Inc., Joy landed her first office job with Robert O. Anderson in his office here in Roswell. She was assigned to type up all of the oil company division invoices.  While there she met one of her dearest life-long friends, Verna Owens, who is precious to this day to all of our family. As the number of Jerry’s masonry contracting projects increased and the family business grew, Jerry and Joy decided to run the company together. Joy became the office manager based out of their home and worked alongside Jerry for over 45 years as they operated the masonry construction company and later Bostick’s Fireplace Shop, until they retired in 2000.

Joy and Jerry planned and started their family in 1963 with the birth of their first daughter, Jana Leigh (Bostick) Blewett, then had their second daughter, Vicki Ann (Bostick) Blewett in 1965. Joy always counted it as a privilege to be able to stay home with her girls and support the businesses from the homefront.  She nurtured her girls, and taught them how to socialize, make friends, cook, and enjoy the homelife she always wanted.  Joy was talented at sewing and crafting with her friends and could make a treasure out of “trash”, transforming old farm milk cans or other antiquities to display around her home. Joy was huge on education and thoroughly supported her girls throughout their school years and into college. Joy was known to have Jerry drive her down to Baylor University every Spring or late Fall so she could help quiz Jana and get her prepared for final exams each semester.  Joy always served as Home Room Mother, and attended all school awards assemblies, school plays, high school musicals, middle school girls’ basketball games, middle school track and youth soft ball games as the girls were growing up. Joy taught the 5-year-olds in Sunday School at First Baptist Church for many years as a young mom and even after her girls left for college. She served on many church committees and launched out with Jerry as one of the charter families that helped start Gateway Baptist Church of Roswell (now Gateway Church International.)

With Joy by his side, Jerry totally remodeled and bricked a 100-year-old white farmhouse when they bought their homestead and farm from Virgil Grantham.  Joy worked with Jerry and his crew to beautify and brick the home, build two fireplaces, a large courtyard and covered patio for entertaining, and a custom swimming pool.  Many birthday celebrations, church parties, and the girl’s high school graduation parties revolved around the swimming pool. At age 68, Jerry and Joy built their brick dream-home, complete with a gabled elevation and dorm window features, even further east of Roswell on the farm he bought from the Barringers.

Joy was well known for her cooking and truly had the gift of hospitality. She had the BEST Christmas parties and invited all of their church friends. The children all grew up together, often falling asleep on the sofas or floors waiting for their parents to finish all of the lively “42” domino games.  These games sometimes went on until midnight, especially on New Year’s Eve. Joy always hosted wedding and baby showers for close friends and cooked and prepared numerous meals for those ill or who had lost a loved one.  Coming from a very close family, Joy’s relatives hosted huge family reunions and she was loved by all of her Texas cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Joy had a love for traveling and she insisted Jerry take her and the girls on a two-week vacation each year. Adventures were had by all as they traveled down along the South, enjoying the warm beaches of the Gulf Coast and Orlando, and camping near Disney World. They also made visits to Michigan to see her brother Bill, and to Lubbock to visit Corky and family. Joy and Jerry planned several educational vacations to the nation’s capital and New York City, as well as a memorable trip to Alaska.  Of course, Joy took the girls shopping in all of the big cities they visited. Many summer weekends were spent up at their get-away in Ruidoso where Jerry built on a fireplace and added two outdoor patios for picnics, family fish frys, and family reunions.  She and Jerry traveled to the Holy Land and toured the Greek Isles with their sweet friends Dorothy and RJ Dodson.  Joy and Jerry also traveled with Stan and Marilyn Lair to Hawaii, back to Alaska for King Salmon fishing, and to San Antonio for another fun trip. Their childhood friends, Marion and Garland McClendon planned a journey to Scotland / England and another to Monument Valley where many of their favorite western movies were made. When they retired, Joy and Jerry invested in a decked-out RV and spent 15 years camping out at fishing lakes with their friends, family, and grandchildren in locations across Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. One of their favorite outings was camping with their church group up in Angel Fire every September for fun and fellowship.

In recent years, Joy was thrilled to have her daughters’ families move back to New Mexico so they could be close to home. Their youngest daughter Vicki partnered in the family business for several years. Joy’s grandchildren Christopher and Bethany were also her pride and joy. GranJoy, as she was affectionately known, was always taking advantage of the “teachable moments” and had a huge influence on her grandchildren. She loved to take them on trips, spend hours reading to them, travel to Arizona to watch numerous little league games, violin recitals, fiddle contests, spelling bees, youth football, and other sports or activities Christopher participated in as he grew up.  GranJoy would not miss a Spring Dance Recital, stage musical production or special school activity Bethany was in and often asked her to sing at First Baptist Church when she was in Roswell visiting.

Joy’s sparkle, contagious smile, the twinkle in her clear, blue eyes, and her laughter will live on in our memories. The friends Joy made throughout the years have been treasures to her. She never let an opportunity pass to get together for a girls’ weekend with her long-time best friends Dorotha Sandefur and Beverly Allen-Cox. Those weekends resembled their middle school and high school slumber parties. Joy and her friends carried on this slumber party tradition annually through the 1980’s.

Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Hazel Winton, her brother Roy Max (Corky) Winton and her sister-in-law Betty Winton (Bill Winton’s wife), and her sister in-law Winona (Bostick) Furr and brother in-law J.A. Furr. Joy is survived by her husband Jerry Bostick, to whom she was married for over 62 wonderful years; her daughter Jana Blewett (Carlton Blewett) of Roswell; Vicki Blewett (David Blewett) of Roswell; grandson Christopher and his wife Rebecca (Smith) Blewett of Plano, Texas; grand-daughter Bethany Blewett of College Station, Texas; brother Bill Winton of Goldthwaite, Texas; niece Shelli Bradley (Rusty Bradley) of Muskogee, Oklahoma; nephew Tracy Winton (Ellen Winton) of Columbia, Mississippi; nephew Todd Winton (Jen Winton) of Phoenix, Arizona; nephew Larry Winton (Oressa Winton) of Lubbock, Texas; nephew Steve Winton of California, Rick Furr and his wife Terri, and Gary Furr and his wife Joan, along with numerous great nieces, great nephews, and cousins.

The Christian values of faith, devotion to family, and showing care and love to others were the hallmark of Joy’s life well-lived. We ask you to join us for a Celebration of Life service for her at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at their home church, First Baptist Church, 500 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Roswell, NM.

Pall Bearers for Joy’s service are: Christopher Blewett, David Blewett, Carlton Blewett, Tracy Winton, Gary Furr and Rick Furr.

Honorary Pall Bearers are Stan Lair, Paul White, Derry Moore, Stan Bush, Dave Parsons, Alan Celoria, Larry Winton, Bill Winton and Todd Winton.

This obituary was lovingly written by her family.