BOMBER MEMORIAL

JOY CLAIRE BURKE TONER STILES ~ Class of 1965
January 1, 1947 - January 17, 2010

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On January 17, 2010 Joy Stiles passed away at her home, buoyed up by her family and closest friends. Born January 1, 1947 to Robert and Billie Burke in Cleveland, Ohio, Joy moved to Richland after her father took a job with G.E., attending Richland schools and graduating from Richland's Columbia High School in 1965 as a proud Bomber.

Beginning in 1965, Joy attended WSU, and in 1966 she chose to begin married life in Pullman with her first great love, Michael Toner ('65-RIP). Pullman was where she later gave birth to her beloved son, James, and where her life as a mother and dedicated Cougar fan began. Following Mike's graduation from WSU, the young Toner family moved to Aberdeen to begin a long affiliation with the Weyerhaeuser company which took them to locations in Washington and, ultimately, to Mississippi. While in Mississippi, Mike tragically passed away at a heart achingly young age.

Joy and Jim returned to Washington so that Jim could attend WSU and Joy settled in Richland, joining PNNL in 1986. It was there that Joy met the second love of her life, Dennis Stiles, forming a bond of love and friendship that endures to this day.

In 2003, after many years of eager anticipation, Joy was delighted by the birth of Jim's first child, Megan Joy Toner. Her long awaited chance to be Grandma was further enriched in 2005 with the arrival of Kate Alexa, and Joy treasured every chance to spend time with her precious granddaughters (and their parents, too).

Joy was gorgeous on the outside, but her true beauty was inside, manifest through quickly forming new friendships, caring more for others than for herself, and her irrepressible zest for life. Her smile warmed many hearts, and her laugh carried throughout PNNL office buildings, and during the past year, through hospital corridors too. Joy was the perfect name for this cheerful, fun loving, engaging woman. She was taken from us too soon, and her laugh and radiant smile are sorely missed.

Joy is survived by her loving husband, Dennis; son, Jim (Minh) Toner; granddaughters, Megan and Kate: her brother, Bill (not a Bomber); and her sister, Niki (not a Bomber). She was preceded in death by her first husband, Mike Toner ('65); and her parents, Robert and Billie Burke.

The family would like to thank the many dear friends who enriched Joy's life journey, especially those who brought so much encouragement, support, and even laughter to the last stage of that journey. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made in Joy's memory to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation, "Joy Stiles Memorial Fund".

A memorial tribute service was held at 2:00pm on January 23, 2010 at the Memories at Sunset Event Center in Richland.

Express your thoughts and memories in the online guest book at www.einansfuneralhome.com.



NOTE: James Matthew "Jim" Toner was born March 9, 1967 and passed away on December 6, 2010 in Columbus, CA.

Bomber Memorial put together by Maren SMYTH ('63 and '64) and edited by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).