Joyce McCroskey

Joyce Inabinet McCroskey, age 80, passed away peacefully at home on May 10, 2012, surrounded by her family. Joyce was born August 24, 1931 in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She married David LeQuire McCroskey on June 17, 1954. She received her RN from the Medical University of South Carolina and her BSN from Vanderbilt University. She and David moved to Blount County in 1964 where David practiced ophthalmology until his death in 1996. Joyce was an active community member and sculptor. She was a member of the Blount County Medical Auxiliary, the GFWC Chilhowee Club and a tireless volunteer during her childrens' school years in the school health clinics, the Maryville High School band parents and chaperone for countless events. She was a board member for the Blount County Girls' Group Home and for Experience Your Smokies. She rekindled her passion for sculpting after a Maryville High School band trip to Italy in 1980. She started the Farmhouse Artists' Workshop Studios in Walland with fellow artist Martha Wright, introducing artists to various media through well-known artist lecturers. The highlight of her sculpting career was the creation of the Polly Toole statue in Blount County's historic courthouse. With Bessie Harvey, an internationally-renowned local artist, acting as the model and a trip to Pietrasanta, Italy where she was able to carve Carrara marble that had been quarried at the time of Polly Toole's brave act of saving the Blount County records from fire during the Civil War, Joyce presented Polly to Blount County on July 4, 1994 during the Blount County Bicentennial Celebration with her family and Bessie Harvey by her side. Joyce's sculptures have been in numerous juried shows, including two at the Nashville Parthenon. Her public sculptures include "Mother and Child" in the Garden of Life at Blount Memorial Hospital, a bust of Bessie Harvey at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in Alcoa and a bust of Sam Houston at the historic Sam Houston Schoolhouse in Blount County. She has pieces in numerous private collections. She was a member of the Tennessee Artists' Association, Fine Arts Blount and the Townsend Art Guild. She is preceded in death by her parents John Gary and Gwendolyn Murph Inabinet, husband David, parents-in-law William Arthur and Reba LeQuire McCroskey and brother-in-law Billy McCroskey. She is survived by her three children and their spouses and her grandchildren Sam and Marye Lois Pellettieri McCroskey and children Erin and Rachel, Tom and Lorri Walker McCroskey and children Katherine and Elizabeth and Debbie and David Gilliam as well as her sisters Lois (Bud) Porth and Johnnie and husband Billy Bates and sister-in-law Michaela McCroskey. She has seven very special nieces and nephews and their families in South Carolina and Kentucky. The family would like to thank Dr. McCarty and the wonderful staff at Thompson Oncology and Blount Memorial Hospital, and the many dedicated and special caregivers that helped make Joyce's final journey over the last few months as comfortable and dignified as possible. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Broadway United Methodist Church in Maryville at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 14, 2012 with the family receiving friends after the service in the church fellowship hall. Joyce and her family request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Sam Houston Statue, c/o Greg McClain, City of Maryville, 406 W. Broadway, Maryville, TN 37801 or Experience Your Smokies, PO Box 297, Walland, TN 37886 . Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000, www.SmithMaryville.com To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Joyce McCroskey please visit our Sympathy Store.