Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E806-E807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING GERALDIN E. WOOD JOYNER
______
HON. THADDEUS G. McCOTTER
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Mr. McCotter. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Geraldine Wood
Joyner, a devoted wife, mother and community activist and to mourn her
upon her passing at the age of 89.
Geraldine Wood, the oldest of the three children of William and Hilda
Wood, was born in Stockton, California on May 20, 1920. Although her
life was adversely affected and forever changed by the polio epidemic
of 1921, Jeri was never deterred from living life to the
[[Page E807]]
fullest. At the tender age of 4, Jeri was accepted as a patient at San
Francisco Shriners Hospital and endured multiple surgeries. Although
she was home and hospital schooled through her eighth grade year, Jeri
was healthy enough to attend high school, graduating in 1937. She then
went on to attend Stockton College of Commerce. During World War II
Miss Wood worked on a United States Army base in the state of
Washington, meeting and eventually marrying Army Technical Sergeant
Richard Joyner when the war ended.
Mr. and Mrs. Joyner and their young family moved to Livonia, Michigan
in 1960 where Jeri quickly became involved in the local PTA thus
beginning a storied career of service to the community she loved. Jeri
served a combined 20 years with the Livonia School Board and the Wayne
County Intermediate School District between 1964 and 1984. Perhaps
because she was denied a normal educational experience, Jeri felt
impassioned to guarantee other children ample opportunities through
their school years.
Geraldine Joyner served her community with devotion, never waiting to
be asked but stepping up to communicate and to identify important
issues. Jeri was a longtime member of the League of Women Voters,
spending many years as an election precinct chairperson. She was an
active member of the Livonia Prayer Breakfast and the Livonia Town Hall
speakers program. This truly was a woman who inspired those around her.
On May 2, 2010, Geraldine Joyner's driven heart failed and the
Livonia community lost a champion. She will long be remembered as a
mother devoted to her family, especially Richard, her husband of 62
years, and her sons Richard William ``Bill'' Joyner, a former Wayne
County commissioner and Dr. Robert Wood Joyner. Jeri leaves a legacy in
her grandchildren Richard Paul, Jonathan, Jason and Kimberly Ann
Joyner. Jeri was a wonderful woman, kind to all she encountered. She
will be truly and sorrowfully missed.
Madam Speaker, during her lifetime, Geraldine Wood Joyner enriched
the lives of everyone around her. As we bid farewell to this wonderful
woman, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning her passing and
honoring her years of loyal service to our community and country.
____________________
