"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith," ~2 Timothy 4:7.
It is with great sadness that the family of Constance Joy Keith (Jeffrey) announces her passing, on June 7, 2021, at the age of 88 at Tucker Hall, Bloom Lane surrounded by family. Joy, as she was always known, will be lovingly remembered by her children; son Jeffrey (Lori), daughter Beth Keith-Smith (Paul), granddaughters Jennifer Wiebe (Jonathan) and Hilary Smith (Colin) and great-grandchildren, Joel and Joseph Wiebe. She will also be remembered by her sisters, Glenda Phillips and Valerie Duguay (Eddie) and sister-in-law Audrey Ferris. Joy will be missed by many nieces, nephews and cousins along with many good friends from Red Head, Brentwood and her present home.
Joy was predeceased by the love of her life, husband, James (Jimmy), mother Margaret Burke, stepfather Thomas Burke, granddaughter Jillian, brothers-in-law Morgan Ferris and Gene Phillips, as well as her beloved Mammie and special friends Joan London, Nancy Allen and Joan Sullivan.
To know Joy was to love her - and to understand how fitting her name truly was. She brought joy into the lives of everyone she knew, with her open kitchen door and generous heart.
She had a knack for connecting with everyone on their level, be it a smiling baby playing peek-a-boo, a neighbour in need, a bird who wandered into her yard, or a lucky stray cat (of which there were countless throughout the years).
She spent most of her life at her home on Red Head Road, where everyone and anyone was welcome and the teapot was always on, family, friends and neighbours never left without a full belly or empty-handed - always with a few treats or a second lunch to-go. Those she leaves behind are fortunate enough to have some of her hand-written cookbooks with treasured recipes for pickles, jam, cookies, and fudge inside.
Joy attended the United Church throughout her life, joining on her own at the age of 13. She embodied the Christian values of love, kindness and hope in everything she did. Even into her later years, she volunteered at the St. John and St. Stephen Nursing Home and became a central figure to her cohorts of friends at Brentwood and Tucker Hall.
The family would like to send a special thank you to the staff at Tucker Hall, Shannex, for taking such good care of Joy, loving her, and supporting her in the last years of her life.
Arrangements are entrusted to Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road (506-646-2424) with a socially distanced Celebration of Life to be held at RiverCross Church, 61 Forbes Drive (off Millidge Avenue) on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 11 am, followed by a burial at Cedar Hill Extension. There will be no visitation at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at fundyfuneralhome.com. The funeral proceedings can be accessed both live and at a later date by copying the following link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgX0KC9e_FKGdqjYheEvVA to your browser.
A simple act of kindness on behalf of mom would be appreciated. For those who wish, donations may be made to RiverCross Church or St. Mark's United Church, 50 Dexter Drive or the SJRH Foundations - The Give campaign.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Constance "Joy" (Jeffrey) Keith, please visit our floral store.
RiverCross Church
61 Forbes Drive, Saint John, NB E2K 0H4, AB
Tel: 1-506-642-8060
Web: http://rivercrosschurch.ca
St. Mark's United Church
50 Dexter Drive, Saint John NB E2M 4M4
Saint John Regional Hospital - The Give Campaign
PO Box 2100, 400 University Ave, Saint John NB E2L 4L2
Tel: 1-506-648-6400
Email: SJRH.Foundation@HorizonNB.ca
Web: http://www.thegive.ca