Joy Ann Smith

MADISON-Joy Ann Smith, age 55, completed this life's journey on Friday, Sept. 18, 2015, at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg after battling gastric cancer. Joy was born on June 15, 1960, in lwakuni, Japan to Takumi and lchiko Yamamoto. Joy (Sachiko Yamamoto) was adopted March 4, 1963, by John and Lillian Smith in Japan. She became a U.S. citizen in 1967 while living in Kodiac, Alaska. Joy graduated from Waukegan West High School, in 1978 and received an associate degree in computer operations from Madison Area Technical College in 1981. She worked for Dane County Information Management for 30 years and retired in June, 2015. Joy loved to shop, travel and of course gamble, but her true passions in life were music, especially attending rock concerts and food. She was very particular about her food and dreamed of being a food critic so she could express her desire about it publicly: She truly cherished the time spent with friends. Joy will be remembered as having a loving, generous spirit that touched, changed, and inspired everyone she met. Her sweet smile lit up a room. She was the definition of what having a "heart of gold" is considered to be. Joy had her own unpredictable sense of humor. She was feisty, organized, and usually never wrong. Her simple kindness will be dearly missed by the many lives she affected. She is survived by her brother, William (Carol) Stafford of Somers Wis.; nephew, Kevin Stafford (Laura) of Kenosha, and daughter, Kilah and children; niece, Sara Danielson of Kenosha, and children, Racquel, Shaw, and Riley; aunt, Phyllis Goeke of Greenwood, Wis.; Richard Grum of Stoughton; cousins, Kathy Berry and family of Waukegan, Ill.; boyfriend, Jim Czaplicki and family; her dear special friends, Lisa Laue, Angie Patterson, Sally Warren, Gina Rickerd, Judi Kelly; and countless close friends. Joy was preceded in death by her adoptive parents; and uncle, Harvey Goeke. There will be two celebrations of Joy's life: TEN PIN ALLEY, 6285 Nesbitt Rd, Fitchburg, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, and another will be at a location and date yet to be determined. Memorials may be made to Joy's favorite charities: American Red Cross, 2nd Harvest Food Bank, The American Cancer Society and also Agrace HospiceCare. The family would like to thank the staff at Agrace HospiceCare and UW Carbone Cancer Center for their kindness and care of Joy. Online condolences may be made to www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420