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Obituary for Joyce Jefferson Davenport
JOYCE MARIE JEFFERSON DAVENPORT, born in Beaufort County, NC on November 15, 1934, died on August 18, 2020. She was married to Donald A. Davenport, Sr. for 65 years. They resided in Plymouth, NC for almost all of those years.
Joyce was a wonderful wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, aunt and friend. Her family included her mother, Dennie Waters Jefferson Hendricks, and father, Metrue Jefferson (both deceased), a son, D. Andre Davenport, Jr. (of Knightdale, NC and wife, Wanda), 2 daughters, Bonita Davenport (of Mt. Ulla, NC) and Crystal Jones (of New Bern, NC), 2 grandsons, Richard Davenport (of Knightdale, NC and wife, Kristina), Nicholas Davenport (of Costa Rica, Central America and wife, Amy), soon-to-be-born great grandson, and brothers, an infant, and William Darryl Jefferson (both deceased), and 2 other brothers, Sammy Jefferson (of Chesapeake, VA.) and Ray Jefferson (of Waynesboro, VA.).
Joyce was an expert seamstress with family sewing, decorating and designing experience. Her home was filled with curtains, quilts, linens, etc. that she had made over the years. (She always did her own house painting and was even known to take down walls in her house if she wanted to do another room arrangement!) When she worked outside her home, it was for the Plymouth Garment Company. She retired after 20 years of service as a supervisor there.
Joyce was a master gardener. Her yard showed this year after year with exquisite flower combinations and design in her many flowerbeds. (She raised many vegetable gardens for home canning as well until she finally surrendered to the deer and rabbits that enjoyed eating too!)
Joyce always enjoyed the outdoors. Every year she would take a day trip to the beach with her life-long friend, Carol June Windom Waters. They often wore their hair covered with colorful scarves when they borrowed Carol's son, Bill's convertible! She enjoyed playing softball, croquet, and other lawn games. She enjoyed visiting the Albemarle Sound to swim. She loved summer evenings playing Canasta and other family card games with friends and neighbors.
Joyce was an accomplished artist. After her children were grown she decided she wanted to learn to paint so she took art lessons. Her home was filled with many pictures that she had painted. She also enjoyed doing arts and crafts such as cross-stitch, crocheting, knitting, and creating fashions for new and antique dolls. (She did this for several years with her friend and neighbor, Louise Tooley.)
Joyce always believed if you wanted to learn to do something you should take classes. She took some college classes in English at ECU and others to learn about computers. She even took some music lessons and then bought a new piano and started playing at home.
Joyce was an excellent cook. Besides cooking for her family, and friends, church homecomings, and many showers and celebrations at church, she was also known to take food to those who were sick and or just having a hard time. She especially loved cooking for holidays such as Christmas. Her Christmas goodies such as date nut strips, fruitcakes, pecan pies, coconut cakes and pineapple upside-down cakes were known by many. She really loved to cover all kinds of food with chocolate too!
Joyce was a wonderful Christian woman. She was a faithful member of the Roper Pentecostal Holiness Church for 62 years until she entered the nursing home. She loved to sing and had been a part of the choir in the past. She was at one time a Sunday School teacher, the Sunday School treasurer, a VBS worker, and served in various other ministries. Her heart's desire was to see all those she loved, be saved and for all to be together in Heaven. She will be missed by many whom she has ministered to and loved over the years.
Her funeral will be held at the Roper Pentecostal Holiness Church at Buncombe Street in Roper on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Tommy Oliver officiating. Family will receive friends at the church following the service and other times at the residence. Burial will follow at Hillside Memorial Gardens in Plymouth.
In lieu of flowers, you may send a contribution to the Roper Pentecostal Holiness Church at PO Box 116, Roper, NC 27970.
Arrangements are by Maitland Funeral Home, Plymouth.
