Joy Ann Barr Wilcox Obituary (1930 - 2025)

Born Nov 03, 1930, Joy Ann Barr Wilcox attended Zanesville High School in Zanesville, OH. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Joy Ann Barr Wilcox.

Graduation Year	Class of 1952
Date of Birth	Nov 03, 1930
Date of Passing	Aug 24, 2025
About	Joy Ann Wilcox, 90 of Zanesville, died peacefully at home August 24, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger in 2023 and her mother, Helen in 1984. Joy was born November 3, 1934, to Helen Mae (Hartigan) Barr/Vernon Barr and was their only child. She attended Lash High School, graduated in 1952 and enrolled in the Bethesda Nursing program where she earned her RN in 1955. Joy and Roger were next door neighbors as children and even though Roger served in the Army during the Korean conflict, they maintained contact. Near the end of his tour in Europe Roger sent Joy a full set of China that her mother unpacked piece by piece before allowing the delivery person to leave. Around this time, Roger wrote to Joy asking her not to marry anyone else and to please wait for his return from Europe. They married on November 2, 1956, in Tennessee. Joy worked as an RN first at Bethesda in Zanesville, Ohio, in Tennessee and finally in Columbus, Ohio. Joy worked in Labor and Delivery at Grant Hospital until Beth was born in 1960. Joy stayed at home with their three children Beth, Wells and Judd, although on occasion assisted as a day camp nurse. Joy engineered children’s birthday cakes and birthday parties for each child including a Pirate themed party with treasure chest, a train birthday cake and a detailed doll cake. She carefully mended children’s clothing to patch holes in pants, let out hems or modify dresses to be worn as summer tops to prolong their use. Her lifelong interests included roller skating, sewing, making valentines, playing the piano, reading, attending live plays and musicals and shopping at Lazarus. She also took a great deal of pride in preserving family heirlooms and keepsakes, organizing and preserving family photographs, learning about the history of Zanesville and its historic landmarks, and preserving the Presbyterian Manse in Putnam to make it our family home from 1970 to 1988. She organized and catalogued information about the Buckingham Manse and along with this love of historical information delved deeply into the family's ancestry visiting many libraries and investigating available public information to learn as much as possible about the genealogy of the family. Joy and Roger helped organize and preserve many of the Bethesda Nursing Class Graduation photos and information about that program so they would be available to inform future generations. Composites of many of those graduating class photos are now on display at Genesis Hospital Lobby in Zanesville for patients and families to view. Joy remained active in her Nursing Class reunions for many years and enjoyed lasting friendships from that affiliation. Joy also provided administrative support for Roger’s private consulting business for many years until his retirement. During later years, she unselfishly and unwaveringly cared for her husband through difficult times and never shrank from her commitment during their marriage that spanned 68 years. Joy is survived by her three children Beth H. (Paul) Crouser, Judd O. (Paula) Wilcox and Wells L. (Marsha) Wilcox, seven grandchildren: Emma (Matt) Bachelder, Paul (Leah) Crouser, Anna Crouser, Mary Beth (Brendan) Crouser Ernsberger, Grace Crouser, Jason Carroll Wilcox and Erin Mae Wilcox, and two great grandchildren (Carson Roy and Elsie Beth). Joy will be interred next to her husband at Zanesville Memorial Park Cemetery, where graveside services for friends and family on Saturday, August 30, 2025