Joyce Ann Cooksey

Joyce Ann (Joy) Armstrong Cooksey 85, of Fort Smith died Sunday, October 25, 2020. She was born in Fort Branch, Indiana to Roy H and Thelma (Kell) Armstrong, October 17, 1935. Her passing came just a few short weeks after the death of her beloved husband of 65 years, Vernon (Bud) Cooksey. She is survived by two daughters, Sheila Goodfellow (Rob), and Suzanne Cowne (Neal) of Fort Smith; one son, Bruce Cooksey (Cindy) of North Little Rock; three grandchildren, Megan Cowne Cherry (Hayden) and Troy Cowne both of Dallas, TX and Greyson Goodfellow of Fayetteville, AR; one brother, David Armstrong (Kathryn) of Princeton, IN and numerous other relatives and friends. Joy attended Indiana University at Bloomington. After her marriage to Bud in 1955, she was a dental assistant in Fort Branch, Indiana where they lived until Whirlpool transferred Bud to Fort Smith where he worked until retirement. Joy worked at Sears as an associate for 11 years. She later attended Westark Community College. In retirement, she and Bud spent time in Monterrey, Mexico and Sun City Center, Florida. They loved to travel and enjoyed over 20 cruises around the world and were especially fond of the Mediterranean. Joyce was a member of United Methodist Church of Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Rose Society where she held several offices including secretary, the Regional Art Museum, the Fort Smith Symphony League, and the Extension Homemakers Club. In Sun City, Florida she volunteered at the Center Community Association and the Lady Shriners Club and in Indiana the Order of the Eastern Star. An Avid Genealogist, she traced her family back to 1392 and the Mountains outside of Rome, Italy where the family patriarch, Count Montegomorri, was a close personal friend of the Pope at that time. Her DNA showed her family traveled into America in the mid 1600’2 and later settled in southern Indiana where several townships and counties were named after her ancestors. Visitation will be Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 406PM at Ocker-Putman Funeral Home in Fort Smith with private burial at a later date in Evansville, Indiana. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made First United Methodist Church, 200 N 15th St., Fort Smith, AR 72901 or the Shriners Children’s Hospital, Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Dr, Tampa, FL 33607. Online tributes may be made at www.ockerputmanfuneralhome.com