Obituary of Joy A. Twiss

Vernon Center-On Tuesday, October 28, 2020, Joy Anne (Durant) Twiss, resident of Vernon Center, NY and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away at the age of 85. Joy was born on May 12, 1935 in Verona, NY to Wesley and Carolyn (Nash) Durant. She graduated from Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School. On June 5, 1954 she married Weldon Stanley Twiss. Joy worked several years as a home health aide, later earning an LPN degree and then serving as director of the Maple Park Home in Vernon Center. She was a member of St. Agnes Church in Vernon Center and the Church of the Holy Family in Vernon, where she served as Eucharistic minister and in the Altar & Rosary Society. A dedicated volunteer in the community, she worked at the food pantry and fresh food giveaway programs at Holy Family and as a poll worker for elections for many years. Joy loved family gatherings and was renowned for bringing wonderful pies to family events. She enjoyed flowers, keeping plantings of her favorites around her home. She also loved listening to classic country music and watching Hallmark movies. Surviving are two sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and Nancy Twiss of Chittenango and Joel and Kathleen Twiss of Vernon Center; two daughters and sons-in-law Andrea and Frank Brooks of Chicago, IL and Donna and George Hopper Jr. of Rome; three brothers (Dale, Warren and Peter Durant) and five sisters (Florence Richards, Rita Seamon, Carol Way, Jean Chmielewski, and Donna Zimmerman); eleven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren (plus three honorary great grandkids who called her GeeGee); and many nieces and nephews. Her husband Weldon passed away in 1996; a son, Scott, died in 1959 and a daughter, Roxanne, died in 1960. Family and friends are invited to call on Monday November 2, 2020 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Malecki Funeral Home Inc., 23 Front Street, Vernon, where face coverings and social distancing will be practiced. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday November 3, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. at Holy Family Church, 4343 Peterboro Street, Vernon, New York with face coverings, social distancing and reduced seating. Burial will follow in St. Helena's Cemetery, Oneida, New York. In lieu of flowers donations in Joy's memory may be sent to the Food Pantry at Holy Family Church, 4343 Peterboro Street, Vernon, NY, 13476, the Vernon Center Vol. Fire Dept., 5786 Youngs Road, Vernon Center, NY, 13477 or Hospice & Palliative Care, 4277 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York, 13413. Online condolences may be sent to maleckifuneralhome.com