Joy Drinnon Powell

Joy Drinnon Powell, 87, passed away on October 26, 2023, at Rose Senior Living near Oberlin, Ohio.  She spent her last days peacefully, surrounded by her family, absorbing and returning their love.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on November 10, 1935, she was the only child of James Earl and Franke Malone Drinnon, who adopted her in infancy and named her Joy, a name she lived up to for the rest of her life.  In 1953, Joy was elected Miss Chattanooga High School.  That fall, she entered Carson-Newman College, where she promptly met Bill Powell, the love of her life. When Bill graduated from CNC the following summer, Joy left college, and they were married at St. Elmo Baptist Church on July 3, 1954.  For the next fifteen years, they lived in Chattanooga, where Joy was an exceptional mother to their two children, Lynn and Bill IV, while also using her talents in various professional roles, including as kindergarten teacher and craftsperson. In 1969, Joy and Bill moved to Jefferson City, Tennessee, where she founded a thriving business: Joy’s Ceramics and Crafts.  In her mid-forties, Joy returned to college, graduating from Carson-Newman with a Bachelor of Sciences in 1983.  She earned a Masters of Science in Food Systems Administration & Nutrition from the University of Tennessee in 1984.  For the next 25 years, she worked as a Registered Dietician, including her capstone position as Corporate Dietician at Asbury Centers.  Joy delighted in spending time with her grandchildren, who all adored their Grandmommy. After retirement, Joy and Bill enjoyed travel and were adventurous enough to move north to Oberlin, Ohio, in 2012. 

Joy loved, and is beloved by, her husband of 69 years, William I. Powell III; two children, Lynn Powell (Dan Stinebring) and Bill IV (Amy); five grandchildren, Anna-Claire Stinebring (Adam Popp), Ida Powell (Ahmed Ibrahim), Will Powell (Katie Knapp), Jesse Stinebring (Zaib Rasool), and Stewart Powell; and four great-grandchildren, Lillian & Madeline Powell and Hoda & Mona Ibrahim; sister-in-law Jane Howard (Charles); chosen family Boyce Green and Thomas Zgambo (Anita); and numerous nieces and nephews. 

The family is grateful for the attentive, loving care given to Joy by her beloved aide Ruth Millan and by the staff of the Reflections Community at Rose Senior Living Avon.

The family will receive friends on Saturday morning, November 4, from 11:00-12:00 at Farrar Funeral Home in Jefferson City.  Joy's homegoing service will begin at noon, followed by a private burial in Jefferson Memorial Gardens.

The family requests no flowers and in lieu memorials may be made to a Food Bank of your choice.