Funeral services will be at 3 pm today at Crestwood Chapel for Mrs. Joyce Stroup Phillips age 85 of Gadsden who passed away quietly at her home Saturday. Brother Kenneth Stroup will officiate. Burial will be in Crestwood Cemetery. Crestwood Funeral Home in charge of services.

Joyce was born in Alabama City and lived there her entire life. She graduated from Emma Sansom High school in 1947 and married the love of her life, and raised 5 daughters, and finally got the son she always wanted in the form of her beloved dog Rikki.

She is preceded in death by her husband Grady A. Phillips, daughter Judy R. Phillips; parents, F.M. & Florence Stroup, her brothers Louie, William(Nettie), Earl, and Jimmy Stroup; sisters, Elizabeth (Sam) Martin, Gladys (Ernest) Dixon, Jessie (Johnny) Lybrand, and Ruby (O.B.) Raye.
She is survived by her daughters, Linda (Larry) Wagnon, Rebecca (Robert) Colburn, Karen Goss (Donnie Wright), and Martha (Bentley) Johnston; chosen daughters, Mary (Ron) Huff and Susan (Fred) Atwell; grandchildren, Brian (Fayla) Wagnon, Laura (Roger) Williams, Jennifer (Chris) Smith, Matthew Colburn, Dewayne (Angela) Goss, and Alyx Phillips, Jeremy Wright, Kymberli Tarrance and Tristin New; great-grandchildren, Erin, Daniel and Isabella Wagnon, Heather and Brandon Williams, Lyla Paige Goss, Madisyn Smith and Grayson Phillips; sister-in-laws, Merle Fielder, Ina (Louis) McMeekin, and Nellie Ruth (Austin) Crane; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Joyce will be most remembered by all for her kindness and generosity, her mischievous sense of humor, and love of a good surprise. She was always ready to go on a "Great Goss adventure" any time night or day. She shared her talent for drawing and painting with all. She was a true natural "grandma' and loved all children no matter whose they were, they called her grandma and loved her right back. There is not a stray animal that ever passed up her house, and she took them all in and loved them.

We would like to give special appreciation for the wonderful people who cared for her during her illness, all caregivers from Amedisys Hospice, especially Lindsey Horton whom she loved and often was the only one she would listen to, home caregivers, Carolyn Cochran, Tina Boman, Debra Pledger, and Jeanette Gilbert, and thanks more than words can ever say to a guardian angel, Angela Goss who put her life on hold to care for our mothers every need.

Pallbearers will be Brian Wagnon, Dewayne Goss, Matthew Colburn, Chris Smith, Roger Williams, and Ron Huff.

The family will receive friends from 1 until 3pm TODAY at the funeral home.