Joy Campbell

Joy Campbell, 79, of Sherwood, Arkansas passed away June 10, 2021.

Lewis and Joy knew each other in high school and dated briefly at Free Will Baptist Bible College before she left to fulfill what she felt was God’s will for her as a single Christian.  Through an amazing working of God, they met many years later in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Free Will Baptist National Convention.  They were married on June 2, 2007 and enjoyed fourteen years and one week of wedded bliss.  They ended many days with discussions about how God brought them back together and how He brought about spiritual, emotional, and relationship healing and growth.

In marrying Lewis, she inherited three children, Sandi (Keith), Stephen (Jennifer) and Amy (Mike) that she did not have to tolerate through adolescence.  She also had 10 grandchildren, Rachel (Jake), Sarah, Laura (Cody), Kane, Lauren, Gunter, AJ (Morgan), Caleb (Lynzie), Jobe, and Sam. She also had 3 great grandchildren, Sterling, Jett and Julie who she adored.

During the in between time of their relationship, Joy’s journey led her on an adventure to Alaska and Appalachian Virginia where she served as a home missionary.  The next stops on her journey were in Norfolk, Virginia and then Miami, Florida where she found her true calling, teaching school.  She touched many lives on this journey from college professors to military chaplains to the students she taught and their families.

While she felt teaching was her calling, she felt her real gift was mentoring young people to exalt Christ in everyday life.  Seeing success in the lives of those she mentored brought her much joy.  At the time of her death she was still mentoring others in the prison system, her community, and in the church she loved.  She was ever a servant and a friend.

When she and Lewis reconnected, she moved to Sherwood, Arkansas.  It was here she became a master gardener.  She loved flowers and her backyard became her place of creativity and refuge, where she was happiest.  She volunteered as a mentor and life coach at the Baptist Rehabilitation Facility where she was able to share her love of flowers and life’s secrets while working with her charges in the garden.

Joy loved her church.  She was active in many roles including Celebrate Recovery.  She was often called upon to judge youth activities for the Arkansas Free Will Baptist Youth Ministry.  She saw her role in this as one of encouragement, even (or perhaps especially) when those who competed did not place.

Joy was truly a joy in name and disposition.  While we know she is walking with Jesus now, we grieve the loss of her presence.  But as we read in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

A memorial service will be at 11:00AM Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at First Free Will Baptist Church (2001 Parkway Drive, North Little Rock) with visitation one hour prior to the service.

Hey Brent, Mike Floyd here.

Fam would like to update the obit to remove the request for flowers...

In lieu of flowers donations maybe made Gideon International.