Joy (Wallen) Veal
Joy Carolyn (Wallen) Veal, 80, retired peace officer, died Monday, June 20, 2022, in Houston, Texas.
A memorial service was held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 2, at Mustang Baptist Church, Pilot Point, Texas.
Joy was born August 9, 1941, in Sulphur, Oklahoma, second of three children of Raymond and Lois Wallen. She was raised in Sulphur until the summer of 1956, when the family moved to Orange, California. Joy graduated from Orange High School in 1959. Joy married Raymond Brown in 1959 and had one child, David, born November 1, 1960. Raymond and Joy were divorced in 1961. While living in Orange, Joy began working as a dispatcher for the Orange Police Department, which became her favorite vocation. Working at the Orange Police Department, Joy met Robert (Bob) Williams, and they were married in September 1966.
Joy, Bob and David moved to Milpitas, California in the early 70’s, and Joy continued her dispatch career with the city of San Jose, one of the largest departments in California. The family then moved to Golden, Colorado in 1974, to be close to Joy’s mother Lois. Joy joined the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and spent several years with the department as lead dispatcher.
After spending time in Colorado and Minnesota, Joy and Robert divorced in 1984. Joy returned to California in the mid 80’s, again to be close to her mother in Corona, California. While in Corona, Joy reconnected with her school sweetheart from Sulphur, Anthony (Tony) Veal. Joy and Tony were married in June, 1989, and made their home in Hurst, Texas. After many years in Texas, Joy and Tony moved to Sparks, Nevada, where they spent several years during the 2000’s. Joy and Tony returned to Texas in 2008, and made their home in Decatur, Texas, to be near Joy’s sister Christa. While living in Decatur, Joy volunteered for the Wise Hospital in Decatur. Joy and Tony celebrated 24 years of marriage in 2013, a few months before Tony passed away in October 2013.
Joy continued to live in Decatur a few more years, then returned to Sparks for two years, followed by a year in California with David, and then returned to Decatur in 2019.
Joy was tremendously devoted to her family and was a loving daughter, mother and sister. Joy’s network of friends is enormous and includes many lifelong friendships from her youth in Sulphur to close friends everywhere she lived. She was described as having never met a stranger, as she quickly made new friends wherever she went, inviting people to share their story with her whether while traveling, dining or just out and about. Joy loved to bake, constantly baking cookies, cakes and pies for family, friends and neighbors. Joy was a member of the Mustang Baptist Church in Pilot Point, Texas.
Joy was predeceased by her husband, Anthony Veal; her sister, Christa Marty; her brother, Paul Wallen; her brother-in-law, Roger Marty; and former husband, Robert Williams. Joy is survived by her son, David of Roseville, Californi; stepdaughter, Lori Mahler and husband Nick of Wylie, Texas; stepson, Craig Veal and wife Sheryl of Weaver, Alabama; and sister-in-law Kathy Wallen of Vancouver, Washington. Joy is also survived by numerous nephews and nieces.