Joyce C Fant

Joyce Carmon (Smith) Fant was born May 22, 1935 to Marshall and Lucille (Martin) Smith in Des Moines, Iowa.

Joyce was Educated in the Des Moines Public School System where she graduated from Des Moines East High. She attained her BA from Drake University, and her Masters in Education from the University of Iowa. She was an Education Specialist at Roosevelt High School for the duration of her career. Joyce retired in 1990, having taught students for almost 30 years. She was a member of the Des Moines and Iowa Education Associations, the Des Moines Public Library Board and Delta Sigma Theta National, Inc. She loved and taught English and Latin. You could always find her with a book, word search puzzle or the newspaper (which she read everyday).

Joyce Smith married Frank Fant, Sr. in 1946. They raised their family of two girls and twin boys in the neat brown house on Hutton Street. They could walk across the street to the church Joyce attended all her life.She was a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church for 92 years. She served the Lord there as a pianist, member of the Elizabeth Toliver Missionary Society, Sunday school teacher and Stewardess. She also helped organize the Summer Camp.

Joyce had a generous heart and dry wit which she used to educate or correct you. She would get that mischievous twinkle in her eye just as she quietly let you have it. "Ma-Joy", as she was affectionately known, was full of everyday wisdom laughter. She will be sorely missed.

Joyce passed from this life on September 26, 2017. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Fant, Sr.; and her parents, Marshal and Lucille Smith. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Frank (Linda) Fant, Jr., Andrew (Laureen) Fant, Marsha (Arthur) McCune and Nansi (Desi) Woods; grandchildren, Maya (Jerrell) Whitaker, Karmon (Jamaal) Long, David McCune, and Sacha (Myllan) Tejan; her great grandchildren, Jalen, Keziah, Kamryn, Jace, Shareef, Jamaal Jr., Nia and Tyson along with extended family and friends.Celebration of Life









Saturday, September 30, 2017

Starts at 11:00am









Henderson's Highland Park Funeral Home