TROY – Robert Ashley Joy passed away quietly after a short illness on Sept. 23, 2013, at Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield. Born on May 13, 1927, in Camden, he was the first son of Harry Henry Joy and Pauline Cole.
He grew up in Camden with his brother, Douglas, until the family moved to Bar Harbor. He joined the Navy in 1944 and served as pharmacist’s mate. After his discharge, he attended Gould Academy in Bethel, then graduated from the Boston School of Anatomy and Embalming, returning to Maine as an embalmer and funeral director. He married Priscilla Petersen of Detroit, in 1950, raising three children. He graduated from Farmington State College in 1968 with a degree in Biology then worked as teacher and principal of Canaan Elementary School until 1978, also serving as Chairman of the school board and president of the PTA for many years. He also organized a project to build a nature trail on school grounds, which is still used today. Summers from 1968 to 1973, he was the Ranger Naturalist at Mount Blue State Park in Weld, creating educational, interpretive, and recreational programs for park visitors, which are still part of the Park’s summer programs today. From 1978 to 1980, he operated a photographic studio for yearbook, wedding, and commercial photography. From 1981 to 1987, he worked as Director of Medical Assisting at Beal College in Bangor, leading that program to national accreditation in just one year. In 1982, he moved to Troy and married Suzanne Chauvin of Massachusetts and had two more children. From 1987 to 1997, he operated a canvas products shop in Troy, and thereafter spent many years enjoying his photographic and woodworking hobbies.
Robert Joy was predeceased by his ex-wife, Priscilla Paine; his son, David S. Joy; his grandson, Eric Joy; his sister-in-law, Patricia Joy of Brewer; and his mother-in-law, Fernande Chauvin of Linwood, Mass. He leaves behind his wife, Suzanne, and their children, Adam Robert Joy of Troy, and Heather Suzanne Joy and her husband, Byron Oakes, of Old Town; his daughter, Bethany Belanger and her husband, Duane, of New York; son, James Allen Joy and his wife, Patricia; five grandchildren, Danielle, Celina, Jacob, Jarrod, and Harper; and several great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind his brother, Douglas Joy of Brewer; nephew, Richard; nieces, Carol and Mary; his father-in-law, Wilfred Chauvin of Whitinsville, Mass.; sisters-in-law, Laurie Rainville and her husband, Arthur, of New Bedford, Mass., Rebecca Hanson and her husband, Clinton, of Pembroke, N.H., and Pamela Gallagher and her husband, John, of Whitinsville, Mass.; brothers-in-law, Timothy Chauvin and his wife, Wynter, of Nacogdoches, Texas, Kenneth Chauvin and his wife, Melinda, of Boone, S.C., and Daniel Chauvin and his wife, Shirley, of Linwood, Mass.; nephews, Keith, Seth, Andrew, and Aaron; and nieces, Lianne, Meredith, Kate, Autumn, Marit, and Mattie.
Always the educator, Robert Joy donated his body to the New England School of Medicine. A celebration of his life is planned for May 2014.
Robert Ashley Joy
