Joy A Bohn

Joy Ann Bohn   December 11, 1936- April 18, 2020

Proud Kentuckian, Joy Ann Roberts Bohn passed away on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 in her home in Owingsville KY.  She is survived by her 4 children, Mike Bohn (Kelli) of Richmond KY, Cynthia Bohn (Sue Hyde) of Nashville TN, Rebecca Bohn Iddings, and Alice Bohn (James Bradford) of Cincinnati OH.  One nephew, Brent Bradley of Columbia MO, one niece, Billi Schantz (Mike) of Columbus OH, and one granddaughter, Britta Bradford, of Cincinnati OH.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde and Wilma Roberts of South Shore KY, her husband, Jerry Ray Bohn, of Owingsville KY, and her sister, Ruth Roberts Smith, of Portsmouth OH.

Joy grew up in South Shore Kentucky where a challenging childhood provided strength, determination, and character, to guide her through a long and successful life.

In 1958 she met her soulmate, Jerry Bohn, at the University of Kentucky, and they were married for 39 years.  Theirs was a true love story.  They were partners in business and life. Jerry was a pharmacist, and the two of them lived in both eastern and western Kentucky, before settling in the east central town of Owingsville, Kentucky with their two young children in 1969.  That same year, while being a member of her church choir, Joy developed throat cancer and underwent a laryngectomy.  She learned esophageal speech, and went on to have two more children.  She was a cancer survivor and advocate for others with the disease.

Joy and Jerry successfully ran the Owingsville Drug Store as partners for 30 years.  They loved their children deeply and provided a comfortable and safe life for their family.   Joy was the first woman to receive the business person of the year award from the local Chamber of Commerce, and served as its president, as well as serving in the Owingsville Woman’s Club.  She especially loved building floats and participating in the annual May Day Parade and festival.  She was organized and hard-working.

Joy and Jerry traveled the world together, and she continued traveling with friends and family in the years after Jerry’s death, though missing him was a large part of her reality in the subsequent years.  She and Jerry took multiple trips to Las Vegas and she loved telling stories about all the famous acts they had seen, while having unusually good luck on slot machines.

Ms. Joy loved Christmas, flowers, beautiful spaces, sitting on her deck, and boating on Cave Run Lake.  She was always ready to hear a wicked joke, and could be counted on for a fun time involving music, laughs, and dancing.

She was quite proud of her children and her UK Wildcats, as they were two of her favorite topics. 

Anyone who knew her knows that she was an original; a firecracker; a pistol; fierce.  She loved a good piece of seafood and a shopping trip to Lexington, or throwing a party.  She was the kind of person who would rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints, and she will be dearly missed by all those who loved her.  

A private service and burial to be held at Richardson Funeral Home.

Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Lexington, KY.   

Richardson Funeral Home is caring for all arrangements.

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