Joy Lee Horn Heddon, formerly of Walton, died Jan. 6 in Cooperstown.
The daughter of William Christian Horn and Leta May Dawson Horn, Joy was born Feb. 17, 1935, in Akron, Ohio.
After graduation in 1953 from high school in Newcomerstown, Ohio, she attended Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, graduating in 1957. While attending a Christian organization’s missionary candidate school in City, she met another student, Elwood M. Heddon, of Batavia.
They married in 1959 and moved to Cortland. In 1963, they settled in West Winfield where Dr. Heddon was an optometrist for 18 years. From 1981 to 2007, Dr. Heddon continued his optometry practice in Walton. He died Oct. 4, 2024, in Cooperstown.
Before her husband’s retirement, Joy was his office assistant and part-time vision therapist. She was also a Cub Scout leader, quilter, choir singer and oil painter. She enjoyed church activities such as teaching Sunday school and mailing Bible lessons to children.
Joy is predeceased by her parents, a brother Herman J. Horn, who died in 2012, and a sister Lillian A. Gumpf, who died in 2021.
She is survived by a son, Wendell C. (Pranee) of New York City, and daughters Phyllis R. (Mark A.) Maxwell of Florissant, Missouri, and Martha J. Heddon of Beverly, Massachusetts. She leaves behind six grandchildren, Stephan Heddon, Matthew Heddon, Andrew Maxwell, Joshua Maxwell, Emily Doria and Marie Smith, and four great-grandchildren: Isla Smith, Eden Smith, Olive Smith and Hugo Doria.
A memorial service will be held at the Reformed Presbyterian Church, 34 East Street, Walton, on Saturday, June 28 at 1 p.m., with burial to follow at the Walton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to World Vision International or a local church program that feeds the hungry.
Arrangements are with Courtney Funeral Home, 25 Townsend Street, Walton. Expressions of sympathy may be made online by visiting www.courtneyfh.com
