Grafton – A greenhouse bursting with vibrant color is a fitting legacy for Joy, a woman both vibrant and colorful. In life she tended her gardens with skill and care and filled her home with love for family and friends, and her memory will live on through the fruits of her labor.
Joyce (Joy) Anderson Nicholson, 94, passed away peacefully in her home in Grafton, MA on July 5, 2023. She is preceded in death by her husband, William S. (Nick) Nicholson, and is survived by a brother, Dick Anderson of Grafton; her children Sandy Booth (David) of Santa Fe, NM; Dwight (Joan) of Port Townsend, WA; Christina Eaton (Donald) of Petersham, MA; David (Sue), and Bill (Missy)of Grafton, MA; 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren (with a 13th on the way).
A lifelong resident of Grafton, Joy attended Bancroft School and Connecticut College. She was a devoted steward of the town she loved, serving for many years on the Planning Board, and was active with the Grafton Land Trust, Garden Club, League of Women Voters, and Visiting Nurses Association. Her donation of land created the Nicholson Family Preserve on Meadowbrook Road.
Most of all, Joy delighted in her family and friends, and was “Nana Joy” not just to her many grandchildren but to many of their friends as well. Summer days would find her on the beach at West Falmouth or harvesting green beans from her prodigious vegetable garden, whipping up dinner for a crowd every night. Her legendary frugality was eclipsed only by her extreme generosity, and she practically invented recycling.
A celebration of life will be held on October 1 at 1:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Grafton and Upton, 3 Grafton Common. All are welcome.
Friends who wish to make a donation in Joy’s memory might consider the Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton, Grafton Land Trust, or Bancroft School.
Roney Funeral Home of North Grafton assisted with arrangements.