1938-2024

Joyce Fay Davis of Ables Springs was called home to be with her Lord Jesus on December 15, 2024. She was born April 16, 1938 to parents James and Dixie Davis in the Ables Springs Community of Kaufman County.

Joyce was brought up on her family’s farm and learned at an early age about working and everything it took to live off the land. Later in life after leaving school and getting married, she moved to Kaufman and lived there for about 20 years raising her children.

Joyce helped manage the Thomas Phillips 66 Service Station there in Kaufman doing bookkeeping, scheduling vehicle repair work, and ordering parts.

After leaving the service station business, she owned a cafe for a few years before moving back to her old homeplace in Ables Springs. Joyce then took a job with Titus Manufacturing (ASC) in Terrell and worked there for 26 years until the plant closed.

Joyce was a big race car fan. For decades, she enjoyed watching car races and working at various dirt tracks (Thunderbird Speedway, The Devils Bowl, North Texas Motor Speedway, and The Super Bowl Speedway). She sold photos for Benny Morris’s Dirt Track Photography and ran the novelty stands, selling T-shirts and other items. Throughout those many years, she made a lot of friends around the car racing community.

There was nothing more enjoyable to Joyce than spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great granddaughter. Staying busy was her favorite pastime, and she loved helping her family, friends, and others with whatever was needed.

Joyce was a member of the Ables Springs Church of Christ for many years. She loved to worship with her church family and took pride in helping keep the building tidy.

She is preceded in death by her father James (Jim) Davis, mother Dixie (Fry) Reed, and stepfather James A. Reed, son Ricky Don Thomas, grandson Thomas Cody Valentine, and cousin Rena Flowers.

Her surviving family left to cherish memories of her includes her daughter Dixie Valentine & Brian, stepson Ray Lambert Jr., grandson Dustin Valentine & Melissa, great granddaughter Audelia Valentine & her mother Cheyenne Luna, cousin Carlene Harris, cousin Lisa Floyd, many extended family members, and a host of friends.

Her funeral service was held at 1 p.m., December 27, 2024 at the Max Slayton Funeral Chapel in Terrell, Texas with a procession to Able Springs Cemetery. The family received friends one hour prior to service time.