Obituary of Joy E. Zamoiski

Joy Eudora (Lathrop) Zamoiski, 89, of Candor Hill Road, Candor NY, died peacefully at home Saturday, March 15, 2014. Joy was born in Candor on April 9, 1924, the daughter of Homer J. and Sylvia Fay (Meddaugh) Lathrop. Joy was preceded in death by her husband Steven Zamoiski, daughters Janice Fay Centeno and Diane Josephine Ayers, sisters Edith M. Lathrop and Donna (Pat) Relyea, and brother James W. Lathrop. Joy is survived by eight children: Regina, Peter (Dianne), Patricia (Sam) Lacina, Priscilla (Lance Seamon), Nancy (Kim Morgan), Andrew (Regina Duplessis), Doreen (Anthony) Dellamarco, and Amelia (Bill) Swiernik; 18 grandchildren: Andres (Cassandra) Centeno, Sarah (Josh) Schreiber, Benjamin and Carrie Centeno, who all came to live with their grandparents in 1988, Calvin (Valentina Orantes) Smith, Erica Zamoiski, Loralei (Rob) Thornburg, Bethany (Adam Cohon) Lacina, Merideth Lacina, Bill Edwards, Amy Jo (Joseph) Thomas, Steven and Fred Ayers, Morgan, Sidney and Camden Jadis, Reed and Cole Swiernik; ten great-grandchildren; sisters Virginia Johnson and Sabra Isham; brother-in-law Ed Relyea; sisters-in-law Julianna Zamoiski, Sophie (John) Cyganovich and Caroline Wilk; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Joy had an abiding love for children, flowers, and sharing. In addition to bringing up their own 10 children, Joy and Steve hosted 27 foster children and innumerable others both informally and through programs such as the Fresh Air Fund. Any child could find a place to stay, along with the best homemade bread in the world turned out a dozen loaves at a time, at Joy’s home. While raising her own children, Joy was the record keeper and accountant for Zamoiski Brothers dairy farm. In 1974 she was AMS certified as a Montessori teacher, and subsequently taught at pre-schools in Candor, Owego and Spencer. Joy also worked with the Franziska Racker Center of Ithaca providing Rest-A-Bit services to caregivers of special needs children and on the Community Support Staff working one-on-one with children toward specific goals. She was active in community affairs and among other activities served on the Candor School Board, was a life-long member of the Candor Grange, and a member of St. Patrick Parish in Owego. Joy enjoyed antiques and local history, participating in the Candor Historical Society and the New York State Button Society. She was an accomplished quilter and also expressed her creativity in dried flower pictures, specializing in framed wedding invitations bordered by flowers she picked and preserved. From the spring beauties, trout lilies, trilliums and mayflowers of her youth to her final perennial garden visited daily by amazing numbers of birds, Joy rejoiced in the beauty of flowers and freely shared divisions and starts with friends and relatives. In recent years, she was known for inviting the public to enjoy the tens of thousands of daffodils surrounding the family home during Daffodil Daze weekends. Joy was a firm believer in sharing with and caring for those in less fortunate circumstances and at the start of her 89th year was still visiting and checking on “the old people.” Joy’s generosity in spirit and action leaves a lasting legacy through the many lives she touched and influenced. The family extends heartfelt thanks to her physician Dr. Mark Glosenger for his exceptional care and compassion. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, March 21, 2014 at St. Patrick Church, 300 Main St., Owego. Friends may call from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at Estey, Munroe & Fahey Funeral Home, 137 Main Street, Candor. In lieu of flowers, Joy requested that memorial donations be made to the Tioga County Rural Ministry, 143 North Ave., Owego NY 13827 or to support cancer research. Graveside services will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 2:00pm at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor. The public is welcome to the services.