Joyce Morris

Joyce Rae "Jo" Morris, 82, of Wilmington, North Carolina and formerly of Colonial Heights, Virginia peacefully transitioned from life to eternity on July 31, 2020.  Jo, her friends knew that they had better call her "Jo," was born October 3, 1937 in Spiro, Oklahoma.  She grew up in Henryetta, Oklahoma.

Jo loved to read, especially Danielle Steel.  She enjoyed visiting with her family and friends, and when the visits were done, she would burn up the phone talking with them at every opportunity.

Jo is predeceased by her husband, LTC (retired) William G. "Bill" Morris.  Bill was in the Army, and his tours of duty took the couple to various U.S. locations as well as Germany and Puerto Rico. When Bill retired, they moved to Colonial Heights, Virginia.  In Colonial Heights, Jo worked as an office manager at Clements Middle School in Prince George County, Virginia.

She was also predeceased by her parents, Alfred and Vivian Davis; her sister, Dorothy "Dot" Santos; her brother, Dewey Davis; and her grandson, William J. Batliner.

She is survived by family and friends including her daughter, Diana Batliner and her husband, Ron Batliner of Providence Forge, Virginia; her daughter, Shari Hardy and her husband, Colonel (retired) Chuck Hardy of Wilmington, North Carolina; her son, William J. "Skip" Morris and his wife, Cheryl Morris of Doylestown, Pennsylvania; her grandchildren,  Chad Hardy, Brittany Donovan and her husband, Ryan Donovan, Brandon Morris, Tarin Morris, and Jayden Morris; her great-grandchildren, Crew Donovan and Myles Donovan; her niece, Elizabeth Santos Michon of Robertsdale, Alabama; and her nephew, George Santos Jr. of Fairhope, Alabama.  Her fondest wish for all of them would be for them to grow into and continue to be the incredible people that she knew they were meant to be.

In addition to her many friends and family, she is also missed by her beloved dog, Butters, who provided untold hours of unconditional love and companionship for Jo.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 15, 2020 at Southlawn Memorial Park, 1991 Birdsong Rd., Prince George, Virginia.  The family will receive friends on Friday, August 14, 2020 from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Colonial Heights Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Homes and Crematory, 2033 Boulevard, Colonial Heights, Virginia. Condolences may be registered at www.ealvinsmall.com .