Blackwood, Joy Delores
Joy Delores Blackwood
(March 5, 1947 – October 7, 2024)
Joy Delores Blackwood, beloved mother of Norman, Donna, and Anthony, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2024, at Norwood Nursing Home in Toronto, Ontario, where she had resided for the past four years following a stroke. Her final visits with her children were joyful, and she knew she was deeply loved by each of them.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1947 to David and Theresa Blackwood (née Campbell), Joy emigrated to Canada in the 1970s. Before her move, she worked as a midwife at Stork Nursing Home, where she was trained, and as a nursing assistant at Bustamante Hospital for Children. Outside of healthcare, Joy was also a portrait model at Edna Manley School of Art.
The highlight of Joy’s career in Canada was in the political field, where she worked as a Constituency Assistant in Scarborough, Ontario. In retirement, she continued to advocate for others, offering advice, referrals, and a listening ear to those in need.
An avid gardener, Joy had a green thumb and a deep love for music, enjoying everything from Rod Stewart to King Sunny Adé, with her favourite being her friend Bob, known to the rest of the world as Bob Marley, whom she had known when she was a teenager. After a stroke left her paralyzed on one side, she communicated through expressions, gestures, and simple sentences. During COVID, she adapted to video chats and earned the affectionate nicknames “Mama Joy” and “Joy to the World” from the nursing home staff.
Joy is survived by her three children, siblings Gordon, Francine, and Yvonne, as well as her grandchildren Sasha, Matthew, and Myles. She was predeceased by her sisters, Dame Laughlin Whyte (“Pee Wee”) and Dawn (“Dawnie”) Williams. Her nieces and nephews will remember her as Aunt Joy or “Auntie Joyie,” and she was known to others as “Ms. B,” “Ms. Blackwood,” or “Norman/Donna/Anthony’s Mom.”
An informal viewing with light refreshments will be held on:
Date: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location:
St. John’s Dixie Cemetery & Crematorium
737 Dundas Street East
Mississauga, ON L4Y 2B5
(Please join us in the Magnolia Room)
For any family and friends unable to attend, the service will be live streamed through the following link:
2ndTimothy 4:v 6 “I have fought a good fight, I’ve kept the faith, I’ve finished my course.”
My big sister-Joy we thank you for the gift of love. You were our Matriarch of the family, now you’re sharing it up above. You had many things to say. All in a caring way. You always saw good in everyone; no matter what they’ve done. You were always the one we could lean on. Even though it must have felt like a ton. Now we all must let you rest calmly.
As we say goodbye, as tears rolled down our eyes.
Big sister-Joy your memories are our keepsake which we will NEVER part.
Gone but not FORGOTTEN!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️
Your sister-Francine-Beryl