Joyce Lucas Ward

Joyce Lucas Ward, 83, formerly of Asheboro, entered into eternal rest on Friday, March 20, 2015 at Pennybyrn at Maryfield in High Point, NC. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 2:00 pm at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Asheboro where she was a longtime member. Rev. Earl Bunch of Greenville, NC will be officiating. Marion Joyce Lucas was born July 5, 1931 in Darlington, SC to the late W. Clyde and Pearlie Moore Lucas. In 1933 the family returned to North Carolina and settled in Asheboro. Following her 1949 AHS graduation, Joyce attended the University of Georgia (Class of 1953) majoring in journalism. While at UGA she joined the Zeta Tau Alpha. Joyce continued her recruitment of future ZTA's by becoming Province President and establishing ZTA chapters at Duke, High Point College, UNC-W, Lenoir-Rhyne, Elon and WCU. In 1954 she married her classmate, Jerry Ward in Honolulu, where he was stationed. They returned to Asheboro in 1956 and made it their home until recently. Some will remember her as the president of Asheboro Junior Women's Club; others as the first woman elected to the Asheboro City Council; others as the founder of the Council on Aging and the first executive director of its successor, the Randolph County Senior Adults Association; while others remember her work with the Tarheel Triad Girl Scout Council. Joyce had a plethora of accomplishments throughout her life. Her strong spirit, hardworking attitude, and compassion for others were inspiring to the many lives she touched. She was loved and will truly be missed. In addition to her parents, Joyce was preceded in death by her sister, Janet Lucas Graves. Immediate survivors are her husband, Jerry, favorite daughter Ginger and her husband David Heskett of Leicester/Asheboro; daughter, Julie and her husband Jim Payne of Daniel Island, SC; daughter, Joi and her husband Bill Lee of Greenville, NC; and her eight beloved grandchildren, Remy Heskett, Robert Heskett, Eric Lindsey, Wil Payne, Rachel Lindsey, Alexis Lee, Ashton Lee and Jennie Lee. A gathering of family and friends will immediately follow the service, to toast her life, in the church fellowship hall. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Pennybyrn at Maryfield Skilled Nursing in High Point and its caregivers and to Hospice of the Piedmont for the care and concern shown Joyce. In lieu of flowers, Joyce would love for you to have a glass of wine and a piece of chocolate, while making a donation to The Michael J. Fox Parkinson's Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5041, Hospice Of The Piedmont, Inc., 1803 Westchester Dr., High Point, NC 27262, The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 505 Mountain Road, Asheboro, NC 27205 or to a charity of your choice. Pugh Funeral Home, Asheboro is in charge of arrangements