Joyce R Roy

GILMAN – Joyce R. Roy, 97, of Baptist Hill Road, died Sunday morning, February 12, 2023, at the Surrogate Son Hospice in Concord, VT.

Joyce Reynolds Harkelrode Roy was born in Rochester, NY, on February 20, 1925, the daughter of Frank William and Madeline (Clark) Reynolds.

Joyce had a lifetime love of music. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1947 in concert piano and music education and taught music at North Country School in Lake Placid, NY for seven years and in Ohio for another seven years. In 1961 she moved to Gilman, VT and was the music teacher at grade schools in Gilman, Lunenburg, East Concord, and at Concord High School, VT. She later worked 17 years for Georgia Pacific, retiring in 1988. For many years she was a church organist and played for many weddings and funerals at local churches on both sides of the Connecticut River. She served as organist for the Gilman Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Church in Littleton and from 2003 to 2019 at All Saints Episcopal Church, Littleton, NH, where she also enjoyed directing the choir and arranging a noontime concert series. Joyce’s classical postludes each Sunday were always followed by appreciative applause. She was a true musician and never stopped studying and learning.

She was a great conversationalist, an intellect and a curious person by nature. She had a passion for mountain climbing and climbed most of the 4,000 foot mountains in New England. She delighted in all four seasons whether it was snow-machining to hunting camp or swimming at Miles Pond.

She cared very much about the welfare of her neighbors and her community, leading her, in retirement, to serve on the Gilman School Board Activities Committee, work at the Gilman Post Office as Postmaster relief and accompany school musicals.

Surviving family members include her daughters, Annie Harkelrode of Anchorage, Alaska, Mary Clairmont of Gilmanton, NH; four grandchildren, Louie, Maggie, Ed and Daniel; and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her first husband Jake Harkelrode, husband Albert Roy and sons Robert Harkelrode and Frank Harkelrode.

Services will be held at a later date and will be announced prior to. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to All Saints Church Organ Fund in Littleton, NH.

Arrangements are entrusted to Bailey Funeral Home, Lancaster NH. For more information or to send an online condolence, please go to www.baileyfh.net .