Joy B. Clark

Joy Belle (Webber) Clark made her final trip back home from Orange Park Florida on August 20, 2025, succumbing to cancer.

She was born in Springvale on April 30, 1940 to Theodore Webber and Bernadine (Ridley) Webber Dunnells. She spent her childhood in both Shapleigh & North Shapleigh, graduating from Sanford High School Class of 1958 and married Paul A Clark (USN) in 1959. As a military wife, she said goodbye to Maine and settled in Rhode Island, Virginia, Mississippi and finally Florida.

After raising her 4 children, Joy found work as manager of Evenson’s Hallmark and later Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream, both in Orange Park Florida, retiring somewhere around 2000. She found this work very rewarding and became an excellent saleswoman. After retiring, she would travel back home to Shapleigh every summer where she would live in her grandmother’s house.

As a member of the Acton-Shapleigh Historical Society (ASHS), she used those skills and spent the past 20 or so years “begging” for money from local businesses to support the society. You could always find her at the ASHS booth at the Acton Fair, and just when you thought you had made it past her, she would find some way to get your attention and draw you over to her – to which you then had to buy something to support the society she loved. She also raised money by holding weekly Kitty Whist card games. Joy loved people and accepted everyone with an open heart, open arms, and a mischievous smile.

In those final months, she knew the end of the road was near but was determined not to lose her sense of humor. She would tell of the silly little things that she would do, like putting the bag of marshmallows on the hot oven door, that otherwise may have caused her to get upset at herself, but instead she would just laugh it off.

She is preceded in death by her parents, stepfather George Dunnells and siblings: Norma Evans, Edith Gove, Fred and Teddy Webber.

Joy leaves behind her husband of 66 years and her children; Scott (Judy) of Florida, Cynthia of Missouri, Kimberly of Maryland and Rodney (Michele) of New York, 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, sister Frances, brother Clif (Debbie), many nieces, nephews and friends, near and far. Her departure leaves an unfillable void in our lives, but we hope the thought of her brings a smile to your face and a chuckle with a memory. As Joy’s final attempt at soliciting, she is requesting you make a donation to the Acton-Shapleigh Historical Society in her memory in lieu of flowers.

A celebration of her life will be held at the Black Heald and Walker Funeral Home, 580 Main Street in Springvale on Saturday August 30, 2025 at 11:00 am. Relatives and friends may visit from 9:00 until service time.

Burial will be at Highland Grove Cemetery in North Shapleigh. As Joy would say, “You come visit any time, I’ll be right here!”