Joy Hurt Peters

Joy Hurt Peters, 84, of Columbus,  MS passed away at her residence in Columbus, MS.  A funeral is planned for Thursday, December 19, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church, Macon, MS.  Interment will follow in Sardis Cemetery in Winston County, MS.  A visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service Thursday.  Memorials may be made to Alabama Head Injury Foundation, 500 Chase Park South, Hoover, AL  35244. Active pallbearers will be Micky Hurt, Gary Hurt, Mark Hurt, David Randle, Cal Phillips, and Gary Hadaway. Honorary pallbearers will be Mamie Lowery, Miranda Sherrod, Satoya Stewart and Dr. Anne Haire. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Joy Hurt Peters was born on July 17, 1935, to the late Hampton and Mabel Wilson Hurt in Louisville, MS and was a graduate of Ellison Ridge High School. During her senior year of high school, she was crowned “Queen of the Forest” for the East Central District of the annual Meridian District Fair and she went on to represent her county in the national competition in Chicago, IL. Joy attended the Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus, MS for a period of time and then began her career as a telephone operator for South Central Bell Telephone in Macon. When the Macon office was closed, she transferred to the Columbus, MS office and eventually moved up to Telecommunications Manager there. She then transferred to Jackson and continued her career. She retired from AT&T there after 30 years of combined service. Joy’s youngest son, Michael, was severely injured in an automobile accident and this marked what Joy considered to be the most rewarding accomplishment of her life: being able to be a caregiver for her son for 27 years until she was no longer able to do so. Having moved to Daphne, AL where she cared for her son, she founded and was director of the Daphne area Traumatic Brain Injury Support group. Through her efforts with the organization, she was instrumental in getting others with traumatic brain injuries involved in recreational activities. She was at her son’s side throughout his rehab in Texas and Alabama and made sure that he received the best of care available. Joy was a member of the East Lake Baptist Church in Daphne, AL and of the Junior Auxiliary in Macon, MS. She was an avid bridge player and enjoyed hosting parties at her home. In 2017, being no longer able to care for Michael, she moved to Columbus to be nearer to her eldest son, Johnny.

Mrs. Peters is preceded in death by her parents; sister, Elton Glasgow, twin brother, Roy Hurt who died at age 4, brothers: John Hurt, Howard Hurt, Morris Hurt, Lamar Hurt, Zeno Hurt, Elon Hurt, and two infant siblings.

Her survivors include her two sons: Johnny Peters of Columbus and Michael Roy Peters of Richmond Hill, GA.; granddaughter, Leah Peters of Hattiesburg, MS; grandsons: Ryan (Amy) Peters of Richmond Hill, GA and David Randle (Emily)  of Madison, MS; four great-grandchildren: Anna, Warren, and Olivia Peters and David Finley Randle; and one sister: Tiny Meadows Gentry.