Obituary of Joy Geraldine Wiles Hutton

The name Joy is fairly rare.  Even rarer is the person who embodies the name itself.  Joy Geraldine Wiles Hutton, passed away in her sleep on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, after celebrating 100 years of life, lived up to that name.  Her joy was contagious, whether that be her joy for the Lord, her joy of music, or her joy in showing off her great grandchildren.  If you were to visit the Hutton home at Christmas time, you would have seen the name hundreds, if not thousands, of times in her collection of “Joy” ornaments and knickknacks, which she curated over her lifetime.  Every “Joy” she was gifted was marked with the giver, so Joy could remember the love that was given from the person, along with the item itself.  Joy was a remarkable woman who brought joy into the lives of everyone she touched.

Joy Hutton was born on January 8, 1924, in Trumann, AR but soon moved to Kingsport, TN at the age of 5 with her parents, Mollie and Garland Wiles, and her three brothers, John, Leon and Don. After graduating from Dobyns Bennett High School in 1942, Joy worked at Morgan’s Shoes, where the young Kellar Hutton seemed to need a lot of shoes.  In 1953, Joy and Kellar were married and had two children: Steven and Tamara. Joy and Kellar were known for playing rummy every day, where Kellar would win 10:1, but Joy’s winnings would always get highlighted on the score sheet. Throughout their 68 happy years of marriage, they always found time for each other, whether it be going out for breakfast, doing the crossword puzzle together, or shouting out the answers to Jeopardy!  Most importantly, they always found time to share their love of the Lord at Temple Baptist Church and with everyone they met. Joy was an active member of Temple Baptist Church since its founding in 1946 and sang soprano in the choir.  After Kellar’s passing in 2022, Joy continued to find joy in spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, participating in Bible study, doing crossword puzzles, and serving the church.  Her kind smile and unending love will be missed by everyone who knew her.
 

Joy was preceded in death by her loving husband, Kellar Hutton, both her children, Steven and Tamara, as well as her three brothers John, Leon, and Don Wiles. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Hutton; grandchildren, Daniel Hutton, Sarah Mbi, Laura Hutton; and three great-grandchildren, Joy Hutton, Isaiah Hutton, and Jack Mbi; and niece Sharon Wiles McCurry; sister-in-law, Marjorie Wiles; and nephews Greg and Scott Wiles.

Services will be held at Temple Baptist Church, Kingsport on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at 1pm with Pastor Scott Young officiating. A burial will follow at East Lawn Memorial Park at 3pm.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home in downtown Kingsport is proudly serving the Hutton family.