Joyce Berry

Brenda Joyce Johnson was born on July 29, 1945 in Oxford, MS to the late Harry Edward and Maggie Catherine Johnson. She suddenly passed to her Heavenly Home on the afternoon of February 9, 2024. The oldest child born to her parents, she was proceeded in death by her sister, Wanda Jean Hudspeth and her brother, James Calvin Johnson.

Joyce, as she was so dearly called, graduated high school from Sledge High School on May 19, 1963 and soon thereafter married Don Sinclair, where she would go on to have three of her children, Bonnie, Mary, and Russell. She would later marry, Jim Webb, and have her fourth and final child, Carrie.

She would eventually go on to marry the love of her life, Harold Berry on October 18, 1980, and spent the next 32 years with him by her side, until his passing on November 15, 2012. Due to Harold’s previous marriage, she would add Deen and Jim to the list of her children, as she loved them as if they were on her own.

Joyce is survived by her Aunt Mary Gooch, her baby sister, Susie Cook, her children, Bonnie Sinclair (Hernando Alarcon), Mary Cummins, Russell Sinclair (Hollie), Carrie Dinwiddie (Michael), and Jim Berry (Linda), her grandchildren, Patricia Berry, Zach Berry, Kim King (Nick), Tee Cummins (Alex), Lisa Galloway (Zach), Chelsea Smith (Jonathan), Eric Duke (Samantha Pietenpol), Shelby Dinwiddie, Dalton Sinclair, Madison Dinwiddie, Morgan Stahlschmidt (Adam), Alex Dinwiddie, and J.W. Sinclair, as well as her great grandchildren, Hannah Cummins, Avery Floyd, Saban King, Abigail Cummins, Ann-Parker King, Greyson Cummins, Gunnar Cummins, Hannah June Smith, and Evelyn Rose Stahlschmidt. Lastly, she leaves behind her precious fur babies, Chomper and Charlie, along with a slew of cousins, nieces, and nephews.
She was a homemaker in the latter part of her life and a devoted attendee at Hollywood Baptist Church. There isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for you, if she saw a need, she made sure to fill that need, whether it be outside in the pouring rain directing traffic, spearheading the Sledge High School Reunion, or preparing meals for the boys she so affectionately called her South African Grandsons. Her love languages were gift giver and acts of service. She put so much thought into presents and was the first to volunteer as needed. She leaves a legacy with her family and church that will live on through all those that knew and loved her.

Visitation will be held at Hollywood Baptist Church in Sledge, MS on Monday, February 12th, from 5-8pm. Funeral services will be on Tuesday, February 13th, at 1pm where the family will receive friends from 12-1pm prior to the service. Interment will follow at Longtown Cemetery in Crenshaw, MS.

Serving as pallbearers are Tee Cummins, Jonathan Smith, Eric Duke, Dalton Sinclair, Alex Dinwiddie, and J.W. Sinclair. Honorary pallbearers are Mr. Dow Collins, Mr. Tom Pollan, Mr. Charles McGhee, Russell Sinclair, Michael Dinwiddie, Hernando Alarcon, and Chomper.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Hollywood Baptist Church, or a charity of the donor’s choice.