Ruth Eileen Joy
Ruth Eileen Joy passed away Friday, Oct. 3, in Jacksonville, Fla., with her children at her bedside. A longtime resident of Sanibel Island, she had resided the past two years in Jacksonville, and earlier in Ft. Myers and New Philadelphia, Ohio. Born Feb. 10, 1921, in Cleveland, Ohio, Eileen graduated from Shaw High, attended Case Institute of Technology and worked as a nursing assistant at Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland prior to marrying Chuck Simmelink in 1942. While he served in the Army during World War II, she worked in various rationing offices and in a Signal Corps repair shop during Chuck’s military assignments throughout the South. After his return from service overseas, they lived in the Cleveland area, rearing two children. In 1977, she married Eben Joy, a Vermont restaurateur and longtime Sanibel resident. They travelled throughout the world for many years and enjoyed retirement while living mostly on Sanibel. There she was actively involved in many civic organizations including the ABWA where she organized a large cookbook fund-raising project and often was found selling her secret salad dressing that she and Eben mixed up in their kitchen and sold at various functions on the island. Throughout her life, she was known for her outgoing personality and love of music, singing and playing the piano, periodically performing Broadway musical reviews in the Cleveland area and enjoyed involvement with Sanibel’s Pirate Playhouse, now Big Arts-Periwinkle. She also was a member of the Ohio Order of Eastern Star and enjoyed church affiliations wherever she lived. She was often found working on either her crochet or needlepoint, some of her projects including a large collection of footstools. Preceding her in death were her parents, Clarence and Florence McNamara Berkey; a sister and two brothers; and both of her husbands. Survivors include her daughter, Mimi (Steve) Tischbein of Jacksonville; her son, Tom (Jill) Simmelink of New Philadelphia; four grandchildren, Ty (Jennifer) Simmelink of Dover, Ohio, Jennifer (Walter) Rodgers of Norfolk, Va., Ryan Thompson of Denver and Danny Thompson of Jacksonville; and five great-grandchildren, Thomas, Trenten and Kaylee Simmelink and Ellie and Bryce Rodgers. Memorial donations are suggested to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Hospice of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, or Big Arts-Periwinkle of Sanibel Island. There will be no calling hours and, in accordance with her wishes, following cremation, her ashes and Eben’s ashes will be scattered at Sanibel. A remembrance will be held Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. in the Hardage Giddens Funeral Home’s Mandarin Chapel at Jacksonville.