Joyce Gaino Jones, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed peacefully in her sleep on June 13, 2026, following a courageous battle with ALS. She was at home, surrounded by the love of her closest family.

Born on January 14, 1945, in Wilmington, Delaware, Joyce was the daughter of the late Joseph and Olga Gaino. She grew up in Delaware, South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina, graduating from Graham High School in Bluefield, Virginia, with the Class of 1963. She later attended Radford College, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Joyce and her son Rob moved to Edenton, North Carolina in 1980, and in 1984 she married Terry Haywood Jones, beginning a partnership rooted in faith, service, and love. Throughout her life, Joyce wore many hats. She worked as a secretary, in real estate, served as an innkeeper, taught preschool, and was Executive Director of the Albemarle Crisis Pregnancy Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina from 1993 to 1998. Whether in her professional life, her church, or her community, she was always looking for ways to help others.

To know her was to love her.

Aptly named, Joy seemed to follow her wherever she went. Her life was marked by generosity, kindness, faith, and a deep love for family. She loved people. She loved serving others. And she never met a gathering she couldn’t turn into a joyful celebration for the people she loved.

Joyce was a devoted Christian whose faith sustained her throughout her life, especially during her journey with ALS. Even as the disease gradually took away her physical abilities, it never diminished her spirit. She continued to trust God, love deeply, laugh often, and inspire those around her with extraordinary courage, grace, unwavering faith and acts of love.

She found joy in beautiful sunsets and she was blessed with many. She loved cooking, gardening, traveling, staying active, reading, playing bridge, collecting local art, and opening her beautiful homes and heart to family and friends, many of them lifelong. She found peace in the Scriptures and in the word of God.

She is survived by her husband, Terry Jones; her son, Robert MacSwain; daughters Kimberly Jones Adams (Richard) and Gretchen Jones Doake (David); grandchildren Katy Meads (Chase) and Christian Doake; her siblings Gloria Willis (Earl), Jim Gaino (Donna), Janet Gaino, Bill Gaino (Vivianne); her sister-in-law Jane Gaino; and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and members of her church family. She was preceded in death by her brother Joe Gaino.

She was lovingly cared for by Jamie Warden and Wendy Rink.

Those wishing to honor Joyce’s memory are invited to make a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Edenton or to the local Food Pantry ministries, both dear to her.

Joyce’s family takes comfort in knowing that the joy she brought to so many lives did not end with her passing. Her love, faith, laughter, and example remain with all who were blessed to know her.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)

The funeral service for Joyce Gaino Jones will be held on Saturday, June 20th at 1 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Edenton, North Carolina. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. The service may also be viewed via livestream on St. Paul’s YouTube channel.

Miller & Van Essendelft Funeral Home, 735 Virginia Road, Edenton, NC is assisting the Jones family with arrangements and online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com