Monday, July 7 was an unusually overcast and muggy summer day, yet hundreds of friends, family, and co-workers of Ms. Joyce Hackney Charity braved the unpleasant weather to pay tribute to a remarkable woman who touched so many lives.
Beginning at 11 am, nearly four hundred relatives and acquaintances gathered into a crowded East End Richmond church to fondly remember and celebrate Ms. Charity’s amazing life of service, love, and compassion.
As I sat quietly in Woodville Presbyterian Church, I was filled with shock, disbelief, sadness. I recalled vivid memories of Ms. Charity’ beaming smile, ready hug, and caring manner that graced the MLWGS office for so many years.
Although so young when she passed away, Ms. Charity had already done more good work in her 56 years than anyone twice that age could ever dream of accomplishing.
As a reporter, I remember frequently coming by her desk to request a copy of the Regional School Board minutes. Ms. Charity would always give me her meticulously thorough and absolutely accurate report even before this document was officially approved and released.
Ms. Charity once spoke of her many late nights at home in front of the computer, painstakingly transcribing the minutes from a tape recorder and carefully editing each sentence.
She was a truly determined and driven person, and in the words of one speaker at her funeral, “Joyce always strived for perfection and was never satisfied until the job was done.”
Her dedication to work was evident at nearly every MLWGS soccer game when Ms. Charity stationed herself on a small chair outside the gate to the field and collected the ticket money.
One night, when ticket sales failed to match up with the cash she had collected, Ms. Charity spent more than an hour with a pad and a pencil, double and triple checking her math. Even though the discrepancy was only one dollar, Ms. Charity would not give up until she found the error.
Ms. Charity’s warmth not only resonated in the halls of MLWGS, but in her community as well. In her spare time, she served actively as a board member of the Golden Heart’s Club, the Bellwood Toastmasters, and numerous other charitable organizations.
In June 2008, just weeks before her sudden death, Ms. Charity hosted a benefit concert at MLWGS for the Richmond Boy’s Choir. For months in advance, she had planned and organized this event, making sure every possible detail was arranged.
In honor of her ever-present support and fundraising efforts for their organization, the Richmond Boy’s Choir has graciously volunteered to perform at this year’s Fall Festival in Ms. Charity’s memory.
In the words of one longtime friend, Marion Cuffee, who met Ms. Charity more than 20 years ago while both women were attending night school, “she was a living saint.”
“Joyce was the kindest soul. If you ever needed help, she was always there, ready to give all of herself for you,” said Ms. Cuffee. “I know she’s gone, but sometimes I still pick up the phone as if I’m about calling her.”
MLWGS and the entire Richmond community lost an angel this summer, but I am positive that the loving spirit of Ms. Charity will continue to live on forever in the hearts of all those who knew this truly beautiful person.
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