Joy Houtz (Wagner) McLaughlin

     Joy C. Houtz McLaughlin, 90, of Port Royal, passed away Friday, Dec. 25, 2020, at Locust Grove Retirement Village, Mifflin.

     Born May 7, 1930 in Tuscarora, she was a daughter of the late Russell E. Wagner and Maude (Leister) Wagner Heckman.

     She is survived by her husband, Samuel E. McLaughlin, whom she married June 8, 1979 in Winchester, Va., one son, Scott D. Houtz and wife, Linda M., of Mifflintown, two grandchildren, Selena Borhman and husband, Lewis, and Daniel S. Houtz and wife, Rebecca, and two great-granddaughters, Taylor Borhman and Bailey Houtz.

     In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph D. Houtz and one brother, Willard “Woodie” Wagner.

     Joy graduated from Juniata High School in 1947.

     She worked as a secretary at American Viscose FMB Corporation for 23 years and then for the Juniata County School District. She was the volunteer coordinator and information specialist for the Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging and retired as customer service manager at WalMart.

     She was an accomplished musician and played the organ at Trinity United Methodist Church and the Lower Tuscarora Presbyter Church where she was a member. She was a past-secretary of the Port Royal Literary Guild and a life member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Mifflintown VFW and the American Legion.

     She enjoyed playing the piano and organ, music, reading, and sports.

     In the words of her son, Scott, “My mother was a giver. A giver to her family, community, church, friends and even to strangers. It is never easy to lose a family member. Doing so at Christmas can be especially painful. My mother was not a saint, but was saintly in small, everyday ways and in her world view. Her favorite Bible passage was from Ecclesiastes 3:1-2: ‘There is a time for everything, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.’ Mom, we will always miss you. And we will always be inspired by you. We love you.”

     There is no public service scheduled at this time.

     Guss Funeral Home, Inc., 20 S. Third St., Mifflintown, has care of the arrangements. Condolences may be left at www.gussfh.com.

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