Mr. John Franklin Joyner, 79, formerly of Roanoke, Va., and the Epworth community near Vanceboro, died Sunday, March 13, 2011.

A graveside service will be conducted Wednesday at noon in the Epworth United Methodist Church Cemetery, Vanceboro, with the Rev. Sonny Brown of Trinity Episcopal Church presiding.

A native of the Epworth community, Mr. Joyner was born on Feb. 6, 1932, to Howard B. and Mary H. Joyner. He attended Farm Life School. After high school, he attended the N.C. School for the Blind in High Point. Mr. Joyner earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisburg College in 1953 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After earning his master’s degree, Mr. Joyner worked as a social worker for the State of Virginia, in Richmond, Va., and spent most of his career as a social worker for Veteran’s Administration in Salem, Va.

He made his home in Salem for more than 35 years before moving to Oak Ridge neighborhood in Washington in 2004 to be near his sister and brother in-law. Mr. Joyner was active in Trinity Episcopal Church in Chocowinity and enjoyed gardening, walks with his nephew and listening to books-on-tape and broadcasts on National Public Radio.

His sister, Betty Joyner Gray, died Feb. 22, 2010, and his brother in-law, Richard Hadley Gray, died Aug. 6, 2010.

He is survived by his nephew, Richard Howard Gray and wife, Betty Mitchell Gray, of Washington, and several cousins.

The family will receive friends in the Casey Fellowship Hall after the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, P.O. Box 1729, Baltimore, MD, 21203-7279.

Online condolences may be made at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements by Wilkerson Funeral Home.

Paid Obituary