| Graduation Year | Class of 1955 |
| Date of Birth | Oct 11, 1936 |
| Date of Passing | Mar 14, 2024 |
| About | Joy E Shue Plant Trees In Remembrance Send a Card Show Your Sympathy to the Family October 12, 1936 - March 14, 2024 Share this obituary Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share in Email Sign Guestbook| View Guestbook Entries| Send Sympathy Card| Memorial Donation Mrs. Joy Elaine (Knapp) Shue, 87, of Phillipsburg, NJ, died peacefully on Thursday, March 14, 2024. For the past two years, Joy has been cared for by the loving staff in the memory care unit of Saucon Valley Manor in Hellertown, PA. Joy was born on October 12, 1936, in Jersey City, NJ. She was predeceased by her parents, Edward and Lillian (Renner) Knapp; her sister, Carol (Knapp) Wierzchowicz (brother-in-law, Lee Wierzchowicz), and former husband, Rev. Forrest W. Shue, Sr. Joy was raised in Jersey City, NJ, and also lived in Bloomsbury, Dunellen, and Phillipsburg. She graduated from Dickinson High School in Jersey City, where she met her husband of 42 years, Forrest, and Jersey City State Teachers College, where she met life-long friends, Karen Gunderson and Claudette Searchwell. She taught elementary school in Union City, East Hanover Township, and Bloomsbury, retiring in 1997, after 25 years. Prior to retirement, Joy continued her education at Trenton State College where she received a Master’s Degree. During retirement, she taught at Busy Bee Nursery School in Dunellen, and served as a substitute teacher. In 1959, Joy married Forrest, with whom she had four children. The Shue family was known far and wide for their labor day picnics and family reunions in “Shue’s Grove” in Bloomsbury, NJ, but it was Joy who did all the work behind the scenes, creating picnic food masterpieces, and entertaining friends, family, and neighbors. Joy was involved deeply in the church families at which Forrest served as pastor in Bloomsbury, West Portal, Phillipsburg, and Dunellen, always available to cut vegetables for soup sales, run a covered-dish supper, or cook dinner for widowed members during the week. She enjoyed participating in the church choirs, as well as teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School classes. Since the early 2000s, Joy had been a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Phillipsburg, NJ. There, she served as a member of the altar guild, assisted in planning rummage sales, reading at weekly services, and running a tight ship while making candy for church fund-raisers. In 2016, she received a Certificate of Appreciation for her volunteer work within the Episcopal Church from the Episcopal Church Women, Diocese of Newark. As a mom, Joy rarely missed a sporting event, music recital, or any of the other activities in which her children were involved. The birthday parties she gave were legendary, with homemade party hats for all, and creative and fun party games. She had a special knack for celebrating holidays, and making sure everyone had a good time. Joy’s personal touch will live on for many years in her knitted Christmas stockings, often given as a wedding gift to couples just starting out in the church, as well as family members and friends (over 100 made and shared); and in her needlepoint and cross-stitch creations made to celebrate weddings, newborn babies, graduations, etc. She was known for her home-cooking, especially her Christmas fudge, homemade pizza, cinnamon buns, coffee cake, fruitcake, baked beans, potato salad, inside-out chocolate cake, and lasagna. While in Bloomsbury, she made grape jelly and jam from scratch, and even created a grape pie recipe using the grapes provided on the vine in the parsonage’s backyard. Joy was an avid walker, loved the New Year’s Day Mummer’s Parade, Johnny Mathis, Paul Newman, everything Disney, and laughing with her family and friends. She thoroughly enjoyed family vacations to Manasquan, where she and another lifelong friend, Fran Weeks, spent hours chatting while soaking up the sun on the beach. She was a huge fan of walking around New York City, seeing Broadway shows, the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, and taking the ferry from Weehawken into Manhattan. Most especially, Joy absolutely loved being a grandmother! Visiting with, babysitting, and cheering on her five grandchildren brought about the times in her life when she was most happy. Joy is survived by her four children, Beatrice J. Shue of Phillipsburg, Forrest W. Shue, Jr. (wife, Judy) of Green Village, NJ, Dr. Susanna G. Evans (husband, Dan), of Oreland, PA, and Jessica L. Morris (husband, Dave) of Shillington, PA; five grandchildren, Abigail, Noah, and Hadley Evans, and Vivian and Forrest Joseph Shue; five grandpets, Murphy, Flynn, Barkley, Scrubs, Lily, and Irish; and one great-grandpet, Koda. Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 4 p.m. in the funeral home. Visitation with family will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the funeral home. Donations may be made in Joy’s memory to: Common Sense for Animals, 2420 NJ-57, Stewartsville, NJ 08886 or by visiting https://commonsenseforanimals.org/support-us/ . |
