"In Her Words"

Joy Alexander McGratty was born August 4, 1948, and passed away at age 77 on October 24, 2025, surrounded by her family at her home in Maitland, Florida.

She was born in Charlotte, N.C. to Bill Alexander and Doris Stansell. She grew up in Brevard County, Florida and attended Cocoa High School where she graduated in 1966. She attended Brevard Junior College and then Florida Technological University (now UCF) where she graduated in the first graduating Class of 1968.

Since the school was new, everything was a first. She was the first ATO little sister and in the first pledge class of TYES, a local sorority, now Pi Beta Phi. After graduation she became a physical education and science teacher at Sanford Middle School.

She met her future husband on campus in business class. She proposed to him on Christmas Eve in 1970 and they married in June of 1971. She taught for three years before settling down to start a family. Her daughter Hope was born in January1974, her son Brian was born in February of 1976, and her daughter Meagan was born in April of 1980. She loved being a mom and attending all the kids' sporting events.

Joy was an avid tennis player for 50 years and a captain for many of those years, as well as on the Gold League Board. She started playing pickleball later in life and loved it.

Joy loved parties, holidays and especially Halloween. She loved telling jokes before they offended everyone. She was not afraid to make herself look foolish at times.

Joy never met a dog that she did not love. She loved dogs better than most people and she cared for many dogs throughout her adult life. She had five dogs throughout her married life and loved them all dearly.

She loved her Book Club girlfriends as well as the many friends she met through tennis and other aspects of her life. She also loved yard work and doing puzzles.

She was the oldest of six children and is survived by her sister Hope, brothers Bill (Donna), Weege (Carm), Mike, and Tommy (Beth). She is also survived by her brother-in-law Paul McGratty and sister-in-law Elaine Fitzgerald. She had many nieces and nephews she adored as well as cousins throughout North and South Carolina.

Joy leaves behind her husband Jerry of 54 years, Hope McGratty (Tyler Jones), Brian McGratty (Sally McGratty) and Meagan McGratty Hackley, (Keith Hackley). She also leaves behind the loves of her life, her four grandchildren: Alex (24), Ryland (22), Brody (18) and Leighton (16).

A funeral mass will be held at St. Margaret Mary Church, Winter Park, FL on Saturday November 15, 2025, at 10:00am followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. She requested that everyone wear bright colors to honor her spirit. For those unable to attend the fuenral mass will be live streamed at Joy's funeral will be broadcast at: https://stmargaretmary.org/