Joy Plemmons Radford

WOODFIN – Joy Plemmons Radford, age 82, of Woodfin went to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

I am writing in remembrance of a devoted mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, and loving wife who was born on February 2, 1943, in Buncombe County where she had lived all her life. Joy has been known to work as a seamstress, production assistant, and cafeteria worker in Asheville, NC. She spent years caring for her wheelchair-bound father in her home. She has been known to value and place the needs of her family before the needs of herself. Joy was content caring for her father, mother, husband, children, and grandchildren. Joy attended Cecil’s Business College to learn accounting skills to help with her husband’s auto repair shop.

Joy was the wife of 63 years to the late Ben Franklin Radford who died in 2024 and the daughter of the late Farida and Viola Haney Plemmons. Joy was also preceded in death by her siblings, Wiley, Lee, Elsie May, Wexler Ogle, Lillian Margaret, James Robert, Helen Lucille, Calvin William, Rufus Dean, Blaine Landon, and David Kimberly.

Joy is survived by two children, a son, Terry Ben Radford and wife Karen; and a daughter, Helen Karen Radford Burdick. She has four grandchildren, Terry Keith Radford, Pamela Joy Radford Hall, Stephen Kyle Burdick, Kirsten Elaine Burdick Bowles and her husband Elijah. She has two great grandchildren, Dorian and Daniel.

Joy is already greatly missed and has always been unforgettable.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, July 17, 2025, in the Chapel of West Funeral Home, 17 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville, with Rev. Mike Schrader officiating. Burial will follow in Ashelawn Gardens of Memory, 901 Aiken Rd., Asheville. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

West Family Funeral Services is honored to be serving the Radford family. Condolences may be offered to the family under her obituary at www.westfamilyfuneralservices.com.