Obituary

Joan Sue (Wilcox) Carey, 82, passed away on October 6, 2023, in Charleston, West Virginia, after a short illness.

Joan was born on December 8, 1940, in Richmond, Indiana, the only child of Doyle Martin Wilcox (1916-1996) and Lois Virginia (Savage) Wilcox (1916-2002). Because of her father’s job with Prudential Insurance Co., the family moved from Richmond to Aurora, Indiana, to Covington, Kentucky, to Middletown, Ohio, back to Richmond and finally to Speedway, Indiana, where she met Mark Carey, the love of her life. She graduated from Speedway High School and from Butler University with a B.A. in Education.

She and Mark were married on August 12, 1962, in Speedway and moved to Ames, Iowa, where Mark was a graduate student at Iowa State University. Joan taught first grade in the Ames Public Schools until their first son was born. In 1967, the family moved to Charleston, West Virginia, where Mark took a position as an analytical chemist with Union Carbide Corporation.

After moving to Charleston, the family joined First Christian Church (now United Disciples of Christ Church). Joan became active in the women’s programs, taught Sunday school, served on various committees, was an Elder and served on the Diaconate. She served as director of the children’s handbell choir for 22 years. Joan loved working with the youth and eventually the activities of the handbell choir included all the youth of the church. After Mark retired in 1997, they enjoyed traveling and doing genealogy research. In 2012, she authored and published a book documenting her research on her maternal grandmother’s family.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her grandparents, Harvey Franklin and Lillian (Martin) Wilcox, and Earl Alpheous and Cora Wilhelmina (Drifmeyer) Savage.

Joan is survived by her husband of 62 years, Mark; their sons, Jeffrey Martin (Lisa June Bungard) Carey of Mentor, Ohio, and Robert Earl (Michelle Marie Wheater) Carey of Annville, Pennsylvania; and grandchildren Nathan Robert Carey of Ohio, Allison Elizabeth Carey of Connecticut, and Oliver Hiram Carey and Lois Mabel Carey of Pennsylvania.

Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at the United Disciples of Christ Church in South Charleston, with Pastor Steven Smith officiating. Burial will be at Earlham Cemetery in Richmond, Indiana.

Visitation will begin one hour prior at the church.

Memorial donations may be made to United Disciples of Christ Church, 100 United Disciples Drive, South Charleston, WV 25309.

Condolences may be set to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.