Joy Walker

Joy Elaine Cullis Walker, age 92, passed away on November 19, 2023. She was born on March 2, 1931, to George Steele Cullis and Joesphine Marie Long Pepper in Salt Lake City, Utah. She married Wayne Dee Walker, her high school sweetheart, on July 19, 1949, in the Logan Temple. They were married for 73 years.

Joy was raised in Salt Lake City where she enjoyed dance-- especially tap and ballet, and excelled in school. She loved to learn and in her own words, "I even enjoyed homework". She was always at the top of her class and was quite active in school affairs. She sang in the a cappella choir, was a member of the school court system, in plays, on the newspaper staff, and in The Girls League. She graduated with honors from Granite High School.

Joy continued learning throughout her life. She took classes at the LDS Institute in Orem. In her late fifties, she started college, attending Utah Technical College, later renamed UVSC, and Brigham Young University. She graduated with honors with an Associate's degree from UVSC. She became a substitute teacher for the Alpine School District. She taught at American Fork and Lone Peak high schools for over a decade and loved being with the students there.

She worked as a postal delivery person for many years and received a medal, which was not normally given to substitute drivers, for her exemplary work ethic.

Joy was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She held many different callings serving in the Relief Society, Mutual, and Primary. She had a special gift for teaching.

Joy and Wayne were called to serve a mission in Nauvoo where she conducted tours of the sites there. She loved the history of the saints. They next went to Nanjing China where they lived for one year and taught English to college English majors through a BYU program in China. She loved her Chinese students and talked about her time there as much as she could.

During their retirement, Wayne and Joy traveled in their RVs and enjoyed visiting friends and relatives and the beautiful scenery throughout the intermountain states. Her favorite place though was being in American Fork Canyon.

Family was very important to her. She was proud of her children and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She loved family reunions and other traditions held each year. She especially loved holding activities at her home, so her home became a special place to all of her posterity. She and Wayne worked as a team to make these times into wonderful memories.

She is survived by her children, Kathy (Michael) Hickenbotham of American Fork, Marcie Janzen of Tooele, Vickie Walker (daughter-in-law) of Salem, Bryce (Leslie) of Bountiful, and Traci (Steve) Hamilton of Saratoga Springs; 19 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, 6 great-great-grandchildren; and 2 brothers, Michael and Gregory. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne; her parents, George and Josephine; and her son, Mark.

A viewing will be held on Monday, November 27, 2023, from 6:00-7:30 pm at Anderson & Sons Mortuary Lone Peak, 6141 West 11000 North Highland, UT. Services will be held on Tuesday, November 28, at 11:00 am in the Alpine 4th Ward chapel, 910 South High Bench Road Alpine, UT. Interment at the Alpine City Cemetery, 400 Grove Dr.

Please click on the link below to watch Joy's funeral service via live stream:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89664948007?pwd=YWlIczl5VWxNc2JkRDYyUTFJb1Z3QT09