Joy Lori Watkins, 54, of Eden, passed from this life on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. Joy was born on July 1, 1959, in Waco, Texas. Memorial service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Eden Funeral Home chapel, with Mark Bethune officiating. Burial will follow at a later date in Eden Cemetery. Joy was preceded in death by Momma Snook; her father, Hubert Franklin Tirrell; and several dear friends. She is survived by her husband, Mike Watkins of Eden; her mother, Bobbie Baker of Kelso, Wash.; three daughters, Terri Riggs and husband Marcus of Marble Falls, Tracie Owen and husband Michael of Big Spring and Barbi Watkins of Eden; three sons, Justin Watkins and fiance Roxy of Eden, Jimmy Jack Watkins and wife Clarissa of Brady and Bill Fore and wife Linda of Brady; four brothers, Randy Tirrell of Denver City, David Scott of Canyon, Delbert Snook of San Angelo and Danny Snook of Abilene; 13 grandkids, Maci, Jordan, Cason, Nikki, Ryan, Mariah, Isaiah, Terick, Alexa, Caiden, Kayli, Cade and Cooper; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many special friends. Joy spent her early married years being a homemaker, but there was not much she wasn't willing to help with or try her hand at. She worked alongside her dear friend, Maudell Wood, at the Multi Purpose Center for many years and gained much pleasure in helping those in need. She was a business owner, a plumber's helper, a volunteer for VBS and even helped with a haunted house one year, which was a very proud moment for her. She worked one of the gates during football season for several years and was also a school bus monitor for many years going to and from San Angelo. Throughout her children's years in school, Joy gained an abundance of "adopted" kids whom she loved as if they were her own and they all called her mom. The one thing that gave her the greatest joy in her later years was spending time with her family and playing with her grandkids. One of Joy's most heartwarming accomplishments was creating a clown organization called the Buffoons that allowed her, with the help of several others, to show kids a fun time at parades, carnivals and different town events. She loved to collect frogs and salt and pepper shakers. She was a very creative spirit who had a great imagination and loved to paint and draw. She could get totally lost in the moment when she had a paintbrush in her hand. She also enjoyed making jewelry and crocheting and would pride herself on seeing something and trying to duplicate it simply from a picture. She often sold her handmade items, but if anyone admired her wares, it wasn't unlike her to give them away even if she was wearing them at the time. She would just take the jewelry off and hand them over. She received pleasure in making others happy. She loved gardening and loved spending evenings gathered around a campfire with friends and family, sharing a laugh, a cold beer and listening to good music. Her favorite time of year was Halloween. Not only did she love to dress up but she also enjoyed creating ghouls and goblins and life-sized spiders to decorate the yard. Halloween was something she especially enjoyed with the grand kids, getting them involved in making different crafts with her. Besides Halloween being her favorite holiday, she loved to decorate for Christmas when her kids were little and was honored to be awarded first place for her yard and window displays several years in a row in a contest the city sponsored. What many people didn't know is that Joy loved writing poetry and even had several of her writings published. She loved to be outdoors and greatly enjoyed fishing or camping anytime she got the opportunity. She was always willing to help anyone in need and frequently gave of herself without requiring anything in return. Joy Lori Watkins was a unique individual who loved unconditionally and loved her family beyond measure. She will forever remain in our hearts and souls and will be remembered fondly by those who loved her. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to your favorite charity .

Published in GoSanAngelo from Mar. 4 to Mar. 5, 2014
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