Our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Joy Emelia Grad, passed away surrounded by her family on December 29th, after a courageous and hard fought battle with ovarian cancer. Joy lived her life so generously with such dedication and devotion for those she loved and cared for. She was a hard worker who always went above and beyond without ever being asked. It is in this same way that she fought bravely against cancer for 5 years. Even though she endured so much, she never once complained or gave up hope. Every extra day she was given, she spent living for more moments with her family. We will miss her greatly forever.

Joy was born, on December 15th 1954 to Mardella and Edwin Stuhlmiller in Glasgow, MT. Shortly thereafter her family moved to Spokane where she spent her childhood with her 7 brothers. In 1973, Joy graduated from East Valley High School and then went on to work for Columbia Lighting. It was there that her friend and fellow co-worker, Linda, introduced Joy to her brother, Joe, who was visiting from South Dakota. Joy and Joe's first date was the 1974 World's Fair in Spokane. They quickly fell in love and were married on July 5th, 1975 in Herreid, SD and then settled in Selby, SD for 3 years. One of Joy's proudest moments was in 1978 when her only child, Jessie, was born. After her son's birth, she and her family moved to Pasco for a job opportunity for her husband Joe. Joy then became the apartment manager for the Carjo Apartments, but later on because of her love of being a mother, she stayed home to care for her son. After her son started school she became a teacher's aide and crossing guard for the Pasco School District at Longfellow Elementary, Captain Grey Elementary, and McLoughlin Middle School. In 1997, Joy became an in-home healthcare giver for the COPES program and met her closest and lifelong friend, Chris Siefken. Not only was Joy an employee to Chris, but she became like family to her and the Siefken family and she considered them likewise. In 2002, Joy started one of her most favorite jobs as grandma after the birth of her first grandson, Cole and the births in 2005 to twin grandsons, Aiden and Dylan. Joy was so excited to become a grandma and spent most of her free time loving and spoiling her grandkids. Some of Joy's favorite things in life were cooking amazing meals and treats; visiting the casinos with friends and her sister-in-law Kathy, fishing, camping, and watching her favorite show, Survivor. Her most favorite thing though was being with her grandsons, who will miss her tremendously.

Joy is survived by her loving husband of 33 yrs, Joe; son Jessie; daughter-in-law Angela; grandsons Cole, Aiden, and Dylan. She is also survived by her brothers Orlin , Richland; Dennis Cathy, Valleyford, WA; Derril Bobbi, Anchorage, AK; Don Kathy, Newman Lake, WA; Dwight, Spokane, WA; Miles Tina, Spokane, WA; and by many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her special friends, the Siefken family. Joy is preceded in death by her parents, Edwin and Mardella; brother Duane; sister-in-law Cindy; and nephew Brandon.

A rosary will be held in Joy's honor on Friday, January 2nd, at St. Patricks Church in Pasco at 4 p.m. A Celebration of Joy's Life will be held @ 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 3rd, at Memories at Sunset Event Center located at the back of Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Richland.

Ovarian cancer, often referred to as the silent killer because of its vague symptoms, is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths for women. All women should be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer at www.ovariancancer.org. Do it for yourself and those that you love. Ovarian cancer…..it whispers, so listen.