Joyce Brown

Elizabeth Joyce Johnson Brown was born July 25,1938 in Athens, Tennessee. She passed away in the early hours of April 18, 2025. She was the fourth of eight children of Alberta T.E. Wood and Glenn Hale Johnson, Sr. Joyce, which is how most people knew her, grew up in the Briton community located east of Calhoun, Tennessee. During her formative years and into middle adulthood she was an active member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist church. She later moved to Cleveland, Tennessee. She would still drive to Calhoun for Sunday service at Mt. Lebanon and never relinquished her membership there. As she aged she gave up the commute to Calhoun and became affiliated with Trinity United Methodist Church in Cleveland and attended regularly until her health began to fail.

Joyce played trombone with J.L. Cook High School band for 1 year. In 2002 she was presented a 35 year Certificate of Recognition for her dedication ,service and experience by Thomas & Betts a.k.a. Steel City.

Joyce was not much for traveling but rarely turned down a trip to Cherokee or Tunica. She also enjoyed fishing, working jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alberta and George Cansler, Glenn and Mary Ruth Johnson; maternal grandparents Viola and Homer Wood, paternal grandparents Mack and Janie Johnson, children, Tina Louise Smith and Melvin Smith, Jr. husband Melvin Smith Sr, father of her daughters ,husband James Brown; sisters Elnora Nalley, Magnolia Bills, Willie Frances Bailey ,brothers Glenn H. Johnson Jr, Robert P. Johnson, Charles M. Johnson, Donnie Edwin Johnson, sisters-in-law Jennie Johnson, Margaret Smith, WillieLee Brown, brothers in-law Robert Brown, George Lee Brown, Walter Brown, Howard Brown, William Brown, son-in-law Cecil Cox

She will be sorely missed by her daughters Angela (Ann) Cox and Valerie(Eric) Buchanan, son Gerald

(Debra)Morgan, special son Bobby(Terri)Evans, Sisters Alberta(Swan) Hover, Jean Malone, sisters-in-law Peggy Johnson, Cynthia Johnson, grandchildren Tasha Brown, Sasha Brown, Jonathan Smith, Remeaka Morgan, Timethia Morgan, Gerald Morgan, Gevell Morgan, 12 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild Avery Scott, brothers in-law David Brown, Paul Brown, Charles Brown, Roy Brown, sister-in-law Mary Massengill, Betty Thompson, Donnie Rogers, Doris Huskins, Lorraine Hassler, cousins, Maxine Weston and Paulette Malunga, a multitude of nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday May 3, 2025 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of M.D. Dotson and Sons Funeral Home – Cleveland, TN., with Rev. Tiki Dixon officiating and delivering the eulogy. Interment will follow the service at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Calhoun, TN

Services of loving memory entrusted to M.D. Dotson and Sons Funeral Home – Athens, TN.