Joyce Woody Garris

Joyce Frances (Woody) Garris, 94, passed away peacefully on October 20, 2026, in Mount Airy, Maryland, surrounded by the love and care of her daughters, Debbie and Dana, and her beloved “bonus” daughter, Robin Ritlaw Hartman.

Born on March 5, 1932, in Washington, D.C., Joyce was the daughter of Nannie G. Updike Woody and Robert Lee Woody. She graduated from Northeast High School and, on July 4, 1953, married Dan Rodger Garris and they settled in Silver Spring, Maryland. Together, they raised three daughters, Nannette Marie, Deborah Joyce, and Dana Cheryl, and built a family that would remain the center of Joyce's life.

Joyce enjoyed a long career in federal civil service, working as a secretary and editor for the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the Department of the Army's Concepts Analysis Agency. Following her retirement, she devoted time to caring for her aging mother and continued working part-time as a medical transcriptionist in the pathology department at Holy Cross Hospital.

Friendly, outgoing, and wonderfully gregarious, Joyce never hesitated to strike up a conversation with someone, whether an old friend or a complete stranger. She genuinely enjoyed people and made friendships wherever she went. She shared an especially close bond with her older sister, Gloria “Patsy” Brown, and younger brother, Robert “Sonny” Woody.

After the passing of her husband, Dan, in 2000, Joyce began a new chapter at Kentlands Senior Apartments in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She embraced the lively social community there, enjoying outdoor concerts, outings to Washington, D.C., museums, and bus trips to New York City and Atlantic City. She especially loved spending time with her grandchildren, taking them on adventures around the Kentlands town square and helping decorate their bicycles for the annual Fourth of July parade. She later moved to Spring Ridge Senior Apartments in Frederick, where she continued to enjoy friendships and community activities for as long as her health allowed.

Joyce was fiercely independent and determined to take care of herself for as long as possible. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone and was often reluctant to ask for or accept help. Although she had lived with cardiomyopathy since her early 40s, her heart continued to sustain her for decades longer than we ever imagined. As the years passed, declining hearing and the loss of much of her vision made everyday activities increasingly difficult. Eventually, she came to accept the assistance she needed from her daughter Dana, and later, her daughter Debbie and the caring staff at her assisted living community and from her hospice caregivers. Even when she found it difficult to rely on others, her sweet nature, kindness, and appreciation for those around her shone through. She had a way of making people want to help her, and those who cared for her did so with genuine affection.

Nothing brought Joyce greater joy than her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, of whom she was immensely proud. She delighted in their accomplishments and treasured every visit. She was especially thankful for the summer she got to spend with Jaxon at the Miletic’s home. She was always eager to share the latest photographs of the little ones with anyone who stopped by.

Joyce also found happiness in life's quieter, simpler pleasures. She loved springtime, especially the beauty of cherry blossoms in bloom. She had a particular fondness for her longtime home in Silver Spring, Maryland, nestled at the bottom of a hill along a lane lined with flowering cherry trees. An early riser all her life, one of her favorite vacation traditions was waking before dawn, settling in with a cup of coffee, and watching the sun rise over the ocean. She loved hummingbirds and made sure her feeders were filled for them and the other birds that visited. These small joys, along with her love of family and friendship, were woven throughout her life.

Joyce is lovingly remembered by her three daughters and their families: Nannette Marie Derrick, wife of the late Richard Charles; Deborah Joyce Koch and her husband, Jason Scott; and Dana Cheryl Miletic and her husband, Raymond Joseph.

She also leaves behind six cherished grandchildren: Gregory Matthew Derrick and his wife, Stacy; Kevin Anthony Derrick; Stephen David Derrick and his wife, Sarah; Jessica Anne Koch; Jarod Evan Koch; and Joshua Joseph Miletic. Her four great-grandchildren, Sara, Matthew, Briton, and Jaxon, brought her tremendous happiness and pride.

Joyce will be remembered for her warmth, her independent spirit, her love of good company, and her ability to find happiness in the everyday moments of life. Her family will especially remember her delight in the first signs of spring, the birds outside her window, the laughter of her grandchildren, and the quiet beauty of a sunrise over the water.

In accordance with Joyce's wishes, cremation will take place, followed by a private interment in the spring at George Washington Cemetery in Adelphi, Maryland. She will be laid to rest alongside her husband, Dan, and near her mother and sister.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Gilchrist Hospice in gratitude for the compassionate care and comfort provided to Joyce during her final months, or to the American Heart Association, in recognition of the advances in cardiac care that helped Joyce enjoy many more years with those she loved.