Joy Pool, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, favored teacher, and friend, was ushered into her forever home and met Jesus, face-to-face, on Sunday, January 26, 2025, after an aggressive illness took her life swiftly and with minimal suffering.  Her last hours were spent with children and grandchildren gathered around her bed, praying over her, speaking blessings, reminiscing, and singing her favorite songs of assurance and faith.  Is there a better or more sacred way to leave this life than to be surrounded by your legacy with the knowledge that you are loved and honored, and that they will carry on after you?  Everyone in that room felt His love. God was as faithful and kind to Joy in her death as He had been in her long and full life.  She was 93.

Alice Joy Scott, daughter of Sitha and Charlie (C.R.) Scott, was born on April 14, 1931 in Idalou, Texas.  She was raised on a cotton farm in west Texas in an area known as Pleasant Valley, where she and her older brother, Wesley, and younger brother, Vernon, shared hard work, and many fun, happy times.  Her dearest friend in the world was Helen Barton Thomas.  As young girls, they were inseparable and remained friends until the very end. In 1949, Joy graduated from Southland High School and enrolled at Hardin Simmons University, in Abilene, Texas, where she met the love of her life, Bill Pool, in their first-year English class.  She helped him in English, and he helped her in Chemistry, while cupid's arrow pierced deep for both of them, and they fell in love.  Joy finished her degree in Speech and Drama while Bill paused his studies in Political Science to enlist in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict.  Three long years went by during which love letters were exchanged between fiancé's while beautiful relics and exquisite China were purchased and shipped home to add to the hope chest.  Those things are still a part of the family treasures.  Joy graduated from HSU in 1953 and started her teaching career, awaiting Bill's arrival home.  The day finally came when her mother, with tear-filled eyes, handed her a letter.  It was from the United States Army; Bill was coming home!  They married on May 22, 1954 and lived in Abilene while Bill completed his degree at Hardin Simmons.

Two daughters were born to their union: Dana Lyn and Kerri Layne.  Bill and Joy became grandparents to six grandchildren: three grandsons, Ben, Ross, and Jake, and three granddaughters, Trudy, Jennifer, and Carly.  They were married just short of 60 years and shared many memories together.  Bill and Joy also shared a delightful characteristic known as wanderlust, which led them to loading up their daughters each summer and traveling in the car to see and experience countless sites across their beloved America; then later, to many parts of the world.  Joy loved teaching so much that everyone thought she would teach until God called her home, but those faraway places with strange-sounding names kept calling her name, so she packed up her classroom at age 65 and started traveling with Bill.  They shared 17 fun-filled years exploring 26 different countries or territories together, as well as many more trips within the U.S. before Bill went to be with the Lord in April 2014.  Joy lived to see 10 great grandchildren born to their legacy, the last of which was a baby girl, Aidah Joy, born on January 16, 2025, sharing an earthly birthday with her great granddaddy, Bill.

Joy loved young people and had a penchant for helping them excel.  She was a much-loved mentor and teacher in Post High School for 30 years.  Every August, she would phone her daughters and say, "I think this is going to be my best class yet!" After this identical phone call happened 15 or 16 years in a row, Kerri challenged her. "Mom, you say that every year!" Her response - she couldn't help herself - "I know, but this time I really mean it;" and then, she would go into a long explanation about how talented and smart her new students were.  Her teaching career led her to be a class sponsor for almost all of those years, which meant she also had fun directing class plays and helping plan Junior - Senior banquets.  It was her distinct pleasure to coach many students in UIL reading and writing events and to direct and even serve as a judge for one-act plays in UIL competition.  Teaching was her passion and that was felt by every student she taught.

Joy was a gamer, and the game of bridge was her favorite.  She and Bill learned to play in college and enjoyed fun connections with other couples and bridge clubs in each place they lived.  Joy also played bridge with women, and in her retirement years, was a member of a foursome who called themselves The Cruisers.  They would say they were "going on a cruise" when, in reality, they would take off to some getaway, not to cruise, but to play bridge.  Joy became somewhat of a savant.  In her later years, she developed quite a reputation among peers, spending many an afternoon playing with friends.  A fierce competitor at any game, she loved to play scrabble with friends, dominoes with her brother's family and the card games "Dumb Luck" and "Oklahoma Cut Throat," especially with her grandchildren.  All came to learn that if you sat down to play with Nana, you'd better bring your A-game.

Joy's love for sports made her the perfect comrade with which to watch football or basketball.  She and Bill loved those Friday night lights and rarely missed a game of their beloved Bold Gold Post Antelopes.  Basketball games were high on their list, too.  Joy enjoyed watching a good football game and spent many a weekend afternoon positioned to watch the sports channels, cheering her teams, and speculating outcomes with her son-in-law, Jody.

Joy moved from Post to Flower Mound, Texas, in 2017, to be near family and enjoyed over seven healthy, full years there.  It was of utmost importance to Joy that she lived life independently, and that she did!  She lived alone, drove, shopped, traveled, was active in church, spent time with friends, and was a member of the Resume' Book Club.  While some find renewal in spending time alone, Joy's energy and vitality were restored by being immersed in people.  So, her lifelines in her later years were found in phoning her lifelong friend, Helen, her brother, Vernon, and cherished sister-in-law, Jo Ann, her travel buddies, friends at First Baptist Church in Lewisville, and the Senior Center in Flower Mound.

Maya Angelo said, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."  Joy was mercifully blessed with both a long life and many moments that took her breath away.

The best comfort for those who love her is that Joy was not only born of the flesh but born of the Spirit. And "that which is born of the Spirit will live forever." – Dwight L. Moody

Joy was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, her parents, and her brother, Wesley.  She is survived by her brother, Vernon, daughters, Dana (Jody) and Kerri (Jeff), six grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, three nieces and three nephews.

Joy will be in state at Hudman Funeral Home on Thursday, February 6, 2025 with a Family Visitation at the funeral home on Friday, February 7 from 10:00 - 11:45 a.m.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, February 7, at 1:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 402 Main St. Post, TX. 79356. Graveside Services will be at Terrace Cemetery in Post, immediately following the Celebration of Life.