Graceville School and the Graceville community is mourning the loss of the area’s “Fountain of Joy”. Coach Joy Fountain not only helped lead the Lady Tigers to two trips to the Basketball State Finals with head Coach Jon Habali, but she led the march in Lady Tiger athletics taking on any role needed of her from the gym to the weight room. Coach Fountain wore a lot of hats from team mom to teacher and even school-related employee of the year but the one she will always be known for was being Graceville Tigers’ biggest fan.
Coach Fountain left this earth on Sunday, February 2 after a brief illness. Her loss devastated the community with many taking to social media to speak on their love for Coach Joy and how she changed their lives for the better. Grandparent of a Lady Tiger alumnus Brenda Henderson wrote, “This kind, loving and generous lady was always there, always helpful, always encouraging, and always praying for our Basketball Girls!” Graceville’s Kody Pelham wrote about having Coach Fountain as a little league coach writing, “Her and her husband coached me in baseball when I was 5 and 6 years old. They nicknamed me ‘wildman’ then and she called me that along with a big smile and a hug every time she seen me my whole life! Just an absolutely fantastic human being.” Graceville Assistant Principal Kayla Wilson wrote, “Words cannot describe how much this woman meant to all of us.”
Coach Fountain was a 1993 graduate of Graceville High School earning a state championship with the Lady Tigers Basketball Team in 1992. She was spoken highly of by her classmates and teachers. Retired Graceville High School educator Louise Mixson wrote, “Oh my sweet Joy. Have loved you from having you as a student and throughout your adult life. May God hold your family and all of Graceville in His hands.”
Joy would continue her education earning various degrees and go on to have a career as a Correctional Officer and in Office Systems Technology. There she would influence her coworkers for the better with past coworker Curtis Pinkard Jr. writing, “The one woman I could go to when I worked at Graceville work camp that’ll stop whatever she was doing and say a prayer and just be a genuine human being. I’ll never forget the scripture [she] handed me when I was having a bad day at the office, Galatians 6:9 ‘And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.’ Your stories will live on and know you will be missed.” After retiring from Corrections, Joy quickly seen the need for educators at Graceville School stepping in to fill in the gap as a Paraprofessional at the school. Her first year as an official employee with Jackson County School District, Coach Fountain would receive the honor of Graceville School’s School-Related Employee of the Year. She commented during the interview that she hoped to continue to give back to her community finishing, “I thank God for allowing me this opportunity to help mold and love on our young people in this community.”
Joy Fountain was a joy to all who knew her. Leesa Lee wrote about Coach Fountain, “She was a prayer warrior, had the most anointed singing voice, was a Tiger through and through, and found JOY in every situation.” Farica West continued praising the person Joy Fountain was as well writing, “Joy was a brilliant light who embodied her name ‘joy’ as she was a true JOY to know and call friend.”
Services for Coach Joy are being handled by Mckinnie Funeral Home. Her visitation will be Friday, February 7 from 3 PM to 5 PM at Mckinnie Funeral Home located at 5304 Bowden Hill Road in Campbellton. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 8 at 2:30 PM at First United Methodist Church of Graceville.
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