Joel Ivy, 1922-2005
Joel Pearson Ivy, Jr. was born on April 24, 1922, in Long Beach, California. His father died when he was 9 years old and his mother passed away while he was in the Navy. He had one sister, Allene, who was born blind and is deceased. His religion was Protestant Christian, later becoming a practicing Quaker and member of Friends Church [Orange County Friends Meeting] in Costa Mesa, CA.
He enlisted in the Navy during World War II and saw action in many places during the struggle with the Philippines in the battle of the Suriago Straits (between Linte and Mindanao Islands). He was on a destroyer. He had Japanese-American friends in the Arcadia, CA area who were interred in the relocation camps set up bby the US Government.
He was married in 1944 to Rose Mogull of Coney Island, New York and they had two daughters, Joanne Atkisson, born in 1946 in Queens, New York, and Phyllis Messina, also born in New York, in 1949. He rasied both daughters primarily alone in New York, since his wife became ill early in the marriage. He was later divorced and then widowed.
In 1967, he returned to Garden Grove, California with his daughter, Phyllis. Residing in Orange County during the Vietnam War, he was a peaceful protester with the Quaker Society. In later life, he performed volunteer work, driving vehicles to do collections on behalf of a learning center for blind children. He also collected food for the poor and homeless. These were projects organized by the Catholic Church in Monrovia, CA. He was a practicing Catholic at the time, later becoming a member of the Quaker church. One of the qualities that attracted him to the Friends was their warmth in welcoming him and making him feel at home in their groups.
...
In 1998, at 76 years of age, he became a resident of the Veteran's Home of California, Barstow, and in 2001 was transferred to the facility at Chula Vista, San Diego, California. He was active in the gardens at both these facilities, assisting gardeners in the planting of roses grown there. He was an active gardener most of his life and excellent at it. He also attended Christian services at the Veteran's homes, and took part in the recreational activities. He was well known and immensely liked by many of the inhabitants.
He had diabetes during the last 25 years of his life and from this as well as other illnesses, died on July 9, 2005 at 83 years of age. He was loved and will be missed by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.