Joy Ann Idzkowski (Simmons)

Idzkowski (Simmons), Joy Ann

Age 91, left this world on Thursday, April 11, 2024, and was reunited in Heaven with her beloved husband and dance partner of 64 years, Joseph E. Idzkowski.  She was born June 2, 1932, in Jackson, MI, the daughter of Leonard H. Simmons and Phyllis B. (Glinicki) Harris.  She is survived by her sons, Michael E. Idzkowski (Nancy) of Powell, OH, and Joseph D. Idzkowski (Tami) of Portage, MI, her grandchildren, Andrew Hinkle, Thomas Idzkowski II (Justine), Alexa Idzkowski, Nicholas Idzkowski, Kaitlyn Idzkowski and Alyssa Idzkowski, her siblings, Phillip Simmons (Nancy), Diane Beck (Charlie) and Leonard Draper, her brother-in-law, Richard Idzkowski (Marilyn), her sister-in-law, Dorothy (Idzkowski) Matkowicz and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  Joy was predeceased by her son, Thomas J. Idzkowski, her daughter, Ann M. (Idzkowski) Klinko, her parents and her brother, Donald Simmons.

Joy was the best mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother one could have.  She was a constant source of unconditional love for her family and described her children and grandchildren as her "most precious jewels."  Joy was proud of her Polish ancestry and especially close to her grandfather, Frank Glinicki, who emigrated from Poland and owned a Jackson grocery.  She was also proud of her southern heritage through her dad, whom she lost when she was just fifteen.

Joy loved to dance, and met her husband, Joe, when he asked her to dance at a Jackson nightspot.  They were longtime members of Jackson's Guys & Dolls Dance Club, and mastered ballroom dancing, disco dancing, the Texas Two-Step, and of course, the polka.  Their favorite song was Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance," which could have been written about them.  Joy also loved trips to the beach and had a special fondness for Perdido Key, FL/Gulf Shores, AL, where she and Joe shared annual vacations with their children and grandchildren.  In addition, Joy liked traveling the USA, cross-country skiing, keeping up with the latest fashions and shopping, especially for shoes.

As a teenager, Joy worked as a carhop at the Tip Top Root Beer Stand, a popular Jackson hangout in its day.  She graduated from Jackson High School in 1949 and took courses in a variety of subjects at Jackson Community College over the years.  In the 1950s, Joy worked at Consumers Power Company in the Personnel and Safety departments, and at the Jackson Credit Bureau.  She later worked for Manpower and the Jackson County Intermediate School District at the Lyle Torrant Center.  Her true vocation, however, was being a wife, mom and grandma.
She was a longtime parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, where she and Joe were married on February 7, 1953.  They were also members of Elks Lodge 113 and Moose Lodge 156.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, April 25th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Oratory, 707 N. Waterloo St., Jackson with The Most Rev. Donald F. Hanchon, Bishop Emeritus for the Arch Diocese of Detroit officiating.  A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  A light lunch at St. John's Parish Center, 711 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Jackson, MI, will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jackson County Animal Shelter or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Desnoyer Funeral Home
Family Owned for 134 Years