Joy Hornsby

Joy Hornsby, 83, of Amarillo, TX passed away on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

Joy was the oldest of four children, born to Hugh and Ruth Lane on May 13, 1939, in Wheeler, TX, and grew up in Sunray, TX, graduating from Sunray High

School in 1957.

Joy was every bit the “firstborn child.” She was independent and strong-willed – a tiny woman with a large personality and a contagious laugh. She also looked to nurture those in her care, which is why she made an excellent nurse after graduating from Northwest Texas Hospital’s nursing school in 1960. She was an active surgical nurse for many years and was known for her meticulous attention to detail and desire to stay up-to-date on the latest medical advances. This served her well, as in her later years she “knew more than her doctors,” often informing them of her own health diagnoses and presenting recommended treatment plans, which we are confident her doctors appreciated. Our family was also recipients of her medical advice, whether in the form of a text with her latest research (She told us months and months before COVID-19 hit that it was heading to the States and we’d better stock up on toilet paper. We should have listened), or via a shared Facebook article…Joy loved Facebook.

Joy was a woman of many talents, one of which was ballroom dancing. She turned this hobby into a career by opening “Dance with Joy,” where she was an excellent dance instructor – we still hear from those who learned to tango and waltz in her studio, and it was easy to drive by and see her through the window, laughing her contagious laugh as she taught.

As we all do, Joy endured heartache – death, divorce, and illness – but she put her faith in Jesus and relied on him to see her through. As her health declined, Joy shifted from teaching to caring for animals. She loved the ones no one else would, putting out food for stray cats, taking some in, but providing for all. Joy never had children of her own, but she had her pets. She referred to herself as “the cat lady”, and we affectionately agree that it suits her well.

Joy is preceded in death by her parents and her niece, Jatawn Wells, and is survived by her siblings, Jay Lane of Stratford, Judy and Archie Scribner and Jed Lane of Dumas; her nieces and nephews, Jana & Brandy Pasley of Canyon, TX,Deana and Kent Holman of Bartlesville, OK, Justin and Shannon Lane of Morse,TX, Brent and Pam Lane of Keller, TX, and a host of great and great-great nieces and nephews who loved her dearly.

Joy will be interred privately by the family.