Joy Smith Hunt, 79, of Ponte Vedra, Florida, passed away on July 1, 2021, after a long battle with cancer.

Joy was born in Hinton, West Virginia, on November 18, 1941. She was a graduate of the Medical College of Virginia, earning a B.S. in Nursing.

Joy was married to Jim Hunt on November 13, 1992, celebrating nearly 29 years of marriage.

Joy is survived by her spouse, Jim; her children, Michael Graham, Beverly Beasley, and Ken Graham; her stepdaughters, Christal Hunt, Barbara DiMiceli, and Melanie Marques; and nine grandchildren. Joy was predeceased by her parents, her brother, and one grandchild.

Joy spent most of her career as a pediatric and orthopedic nurse and an Occupational Health Consultant, retiring in 2001 from the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group as a Medical Case Manager. She had a love for dogs, fostering 17 service dogs for K9s for Warriors. Joy and Jim once flew from Jacksonville to Des Moines, Iowa, to rescue a blind Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, then bringing her home by rental car because Joy was sure no one else would take her. She was also an avid reader, mostly of non-fiction, and a fully engaged member of a neighborhood book club. Joy had an adventurous spirit, getting her motorcycle license at age 57, and went on to own three motorcycles, touring the country with Jim. She once rode 709 miles in one day on a trip that covered more than 4,000 miles over ten days. Dancing was one of her favorite activities; tap dancing being a favorite since childhood. She loved dancing for local nursing home patients. Joy had a deep love for family, especially her grandchildren, never missing an opportunity to say, “I love you!” She enjoyed many activities in Del Webb, where she made close friends. If Joy called you a friend, you were a friend for life.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be given to Cancer Warriors www.mayoclinic.org/giving, or www.K9sforwarriors.org

The family of Joy Hunt wishes to thank the oncology staff at Mayo Clinic for their excellent care.

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